Orange Grove, Mississippi

From Pasagoula’s Mississippi Press of July 13, 2007

Homeowner foils burglary

An attempted home burglary may have been foiled last week by a vigilant homeowner.

According to a report with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, Lisa Darlene Gipson, 43, Arthur Reginald McCants, 42, and Michael Edwards, 51, were arrested July 6 after they allegedly tried to burglarize the residence of Murdoch "Butch" Taylor, which is located at 4029 Orange Grove Road.

The arrest report says that Taylor stopped the burglary after he recognized Gipson and McCants as breaking into his residence earlier and stealing a wallet and money.

According the report, Taylor was taking a bath when he heard a knock at his door. He went down and found Gipson outside.

Gipson entered the residence and, according to the report, started removing her clothes. When Taylor asked her what she was doing, the report says that she responded that she was trying to prostitute herself.

Gipson later said she wanted something to drink. The report says that Taylor got her a beer and escorted her to the front door of the residence.

Parked in front of the residence was a dark-colored van. The report indicates that a man may have been leaving the van. The report states that Taylor fired four shots from a .22-caliber pistol over the van.

According to the report, Gipson and the man got back into the van, which left the scene.

The van was later found wrecked at 9112 Bayou Cumbest Road. At the accident site, the report says that deputies found McCants in the driver's side seat and Edwards in the passenger seat. Gipson was not in the van.

The report indicates that McCants was silent. However, the report notes that Edwards said the two picked Gipson up on Orange Grove Road and gave her a ride to Taylor's house.

According to the report, Edwards said they drove off, leaving Gipson at Taylor's house, but later returned to pick her up. After they picked her up the second time, Edwards said he heard something like gunshots or firecrackers.

The report states that Edwards said the two had dropped Gipson off a second time shortly before wrecking the van.

However, the report says that Taylor, when brought to the accident site, made a positive identification of the van and of McCants as someone who had broken into his residence previously.

Deputies later arrested Gipson near Taylor's residence.

A little bizarre and confusing, but…