Corneleus Rooks

Name:
Rooks, Corneleus, Jr

Date of Booking:
06/05/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
Theft by Shoplifting

Theft by Shoplifting

Disorderly Conduct Trespassing

Theft by Shoplifting

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

[NARRATIVE #1 on June 05, 2026]

On 06/05/26 at approximately 1354 hours, I, Officer Beliard, was dispatched to 301 Jonesboro Rd. McDonough (Henry), Ga 30253, in reference to theft by shoplifting.

While en route to the location listed above, myself and another responding officer made contact with the suspect, later learned to be Mr. Corneleus Rooks (DOB [REDACTED BY AGENCY]), on Jonesboro St., traveling eastbound on foot.

Mr. Rooks was then handcuffed to the rear, double locked and checked for fit, and searched for weapons, which he did not have and transported to Henry County Jail for intake.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on June 05, 2026]

On June 05, 2026, at approximately 1411 hours, I, Officer Smith 2125, made contact with [WITNESS #1], store manager for Kroger. She advised that a black male wearing a cap and a T-shirt with one yellow sleeve came into the store. The male filled up one of the brown hand carts with merchandise and walked out the door, past all points of sale, without paying for the items. She kept her distance and watched the male walk towards McDonough Parkway. While watching, she called the authorities. She advised that the male went into another business with the merchandise and came out wearing a red backpack, but had no hand cart with him. She also provided a photo of the male from a previous shoplifting incident.

I left her location and began to canvass the area. I located a male matching the exact description that [WITNESS #1] gave, walking east on Jonesboro Road; the male was stopped. The male was also an exact match to the photo. The male was detained. He was placed in handcuffs to the rear; they were checked for fit and double-locked.

A pat down was performed, and he was placed in the rear of my patrol unit. He gave the name of Corneleus Rooks. His name was checked in the system, and a Criminal trespass notification was showing for 301 Jonesboro Road. I went back to the location for verification that he was the male who was at the location.

When I made it back to the location, I went to the manager’s office. She was already in the process of downloading the surveillance footage to a DVD. In the footage from today, I did observe Rooks in the store, even after being criminally trespassed. I also observed Rooks loading up a hand cart with merchandise and leaving out the store, passing all points of sale. At this point, I advised Officer Beliard 2146 of the information.

Rooks was taken out my patrol unit and a search was performed. He was placed in the rear of Beliard’s patrol unit along with his property.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #3 on June 05, 2026]

On 06/05/26 at approximately 1354 hours, I, Officer Beliard, was dispatched to 301 Jonesboro Rd. McDonough (Henry), Ga 30253, in reference to theft by shoplifting.

This case is cleared by arrest.

As I was en route to the location listed above, Officer Smith- already on scene, stated that the complainant, later learned to be Ms. [WITNESS #2] (DOB [REDACTED BY AGENCY]), advised that the suspect-identified as a black male subject, wearing a yellow and black shirt, jeans, a hat, and a red bookbag, left the scene with a black basket filled with merchandise from Kroger-not purchased, walking across the street on McDonough Pkwy.

As Officer Smith and I were traveling on McDonough Pkwy, we located a male subject who matched the full description of the suspect, traveling westbound on Jonesboro Rd., but he did not have a black basket in his possession.

Officer Smith and I made contact with the male subject, later learned to be Mr. Corneleus Rooks (DOB [REDACTED BY AGENCY]), on Jonesboro Rd., near “Leslie’s Pool”, and asked him if he came from “Kroger”. Mr. Rooks stated he did not go to Kroger, but went to the barber shop that was near Kroger.

Upon making contact with Mr. Rooks, I advised Officer Smith that Mr. Rooks looked familiar from a previous case at Kroger, and that I located him in the surrounding area and I believed that I had taken him into custody for shoplifting at the location listed above, previously.

Having articulable reasonable suspicion, Officer Smith removed Mr. Rooks’ bookbag from his back and detained him by handcuffing him to the rear, double locking, and checking for fit, and patted him down for weapons, which he did not have on his person, and placed him in the rear seat of his patrol vehicle. I searched inside Mr. Rooks’ bookbag and located two unopened two-packs of “Dove” and “Degree” deodorants.

Once Mr. Rooks provided his name and DOB, I entered it on “Accurint” and “Tyler”, but did not get any returns, due to Mr. Rooks providing his first name incorrectly. Moments later, my lieutenant arrived at our location and searched Mr. Rooks’ name and DOB and was able to get a return as “Corneleus Rooks, instead of “Cornelius” that Mr. Rooks provided.

The returns on “Tyler” showed Mr. Rooks’ first and last name, DOB, and the case number to the report that I submitted (2025-00012570) on 05/28/2025, in reference to theft by shoplifting from the location listed above and Mr. Rooks being the suspect-arrested and placed in custody and trespassed from the location listed. Mr. Rooks was also verbally advised that he was trespassed from the location.

Officer Augustin also generated two separate reports (2026-00013675 and 2026-00013695), in reference to theft by shoplifting at the same location. The male subject in the video footage from both cases matched Mr. Rooks’ description and Mr. Rooks is seen wearing the same shirt and hat that he was wearing when I and Officer Smith made contact with him.

Officer Smith and I returned to Kroger and Officer Smith viewed the video footage shown by Ms. [WITNESS #2]. Officer Smith stated, the video shows Mr. Rooks concealing merchandise from the shelves in the black basket-two of the items being the “Dove” and “Degree” deodorants, walking past all points of sale without purchasing them, walking out of the store, and traveling towards the barber shop located in the same plaza of Kroger.

Ms. [WITNESS #2] advised the total value of the stolen merchandise was $257.22. The value of each item can be located in the general tab of this report.

Mr. Rooks was transferred to the rear of my patrol vehicle and transported to Henry County Jail for intake and cited for theft by shoplifting and criminal trespassing.

On 06/06/26 at approximately 1100 hours, I obtained two CD’s from Ms. [WITNESS #2] at the location listed above, that she stated shows Mr. Rooks in the act of shoplifting and criminal trespassing. The evidence has been placed in bin #3 in the property and evidence room at McDonough Headquarters.

[End of Narrative]