Tattoo Helps Solve 3 Year-Old Burglary
SMITHFIELD – On July 21, 2022 around 4:26 in the morning, a 58 year-old Smithfield woman walked out of her N. Third Street home to warm up her car before leaving. The victim walked back inside her house to gather a few items.
The victim didn’t realize someone had been outside watching her.
The suspect opened the unlocked door to her home and stole her purse from a table.
The suspect fled with the purse containing a small amount of cash, credit cards, two watches, and her house keys.
A security camera captured images of the intruder but his facial features were not clear. However he had a distinct tattoo that was easily recognizable.
The case went unsolved for nearly three years.
Smihfield Police said Antoine Deccarius Sherwood Monk, age 47, of Selma was recently arrested on unrelated charges. In one of Monk’s booking photos a distinct tattoo was visible. The same tattoo as the one shown in the July 21, 2022 security footage.
Based on the tattoo and other evidence police detectives gathered, Monk was arrested on May 14, 2025 and charged with first degree burglary and larceny.
