A bungled burglary, an escaped inmate, a blasted BMW, a pajama-clad mother gone missing, a couple of aggravated assaults, thefts, burglaries, a drive-by shooting, a theft by taking crime committed against a candidate for sheriff and assorted other crimes kept law enforcement busy over the past weekend.

• Bumbling burglars

Two bumbling burglars who tried to rob a drink machine at Charles Spencer Elementary School on Friday were caught on tape. Richard Fisher contacted the Tifton Police Department when he discovered the burglary attempt. The school’s surveillance camera filmed two black males who pried open a door and attempted to break into the drink machine. Shaking the machine did them no good and they went away empty handed. One of the would-be burglars had covered his face with a white shirt and the other one wore a brown and tan jacket.

• Inmate escape

On Friday afternoon, an inmate escaped from his work detail at the city landfill. According to a Tift County Sheriff’s Office report, Alphonzel Chevers reported to law enforcement that inmate Daryl Donnell Laster of Ashburn was intentionally leaving the city landfill after being told that he could not leave. He was apprehended, transported back to the Tift County Law Enforcement Center and booked.

• BMW blasted

Sometime between Friday and Saturday, someone broke the front windshield of a 2004 BMW that belonged to Phil Perlis and was parked at his residence. According to the Tifton Police Department incident report, on Saturday morning Perlis reported hearing what sounded like two gunshots in front of his residence. On Sunday, Perlis discovered two clear bottles in front of his residence that appeared to have some kind of unknown liquid in them. Both of the bottles were melted and it appeared that the bottles contained a chemical that caused them to explode. Perlis told police he had no idea why this had happened. The police made special patrols of his residence.

• Drive by

On Sunday, Lt. Dennis Reese with the TCSO reported there had been a drive by shooting at Doc Melton Sr. Drive and James Avenue. No other information was given.

• Aggravated assaults

Willie Smith, age 51, was taken to Tift Regional Medical Center on Saturday after reporting to a TCSO deputy that he had been shot. The incident happened at 2912 Hill Avenue.

Also on Saturday, Dr. Richard Lepanto with TRMC emergency room reported that a 16-year-old who is a student at Eighth Street Middle School had been shot by someone unknown to him.

• Missing

A BOLO has been issued by law enforcement for Dedra Boone, a 41-year-old black female who has been reported missing by her daughter. On Saturday, Carisa Denard told TPD her mother had left her residence at 117 E. 13th Street in her sleeping pajamas, gray in color, and was driving her 2000 model burgundy Impala. The daughter reported that her mother had said she was “going around the corner.” She said her mother was upset when she left and her family has not heard from her since.

• Signing off