An elderly

"Peeping Tom" was arrested at Coral Gables

Apartments in the wee hours last week thanks to a

tried-and-true police tactic: the foot patrol.

The

offender, an elderly Jonesboro man, was discovered by Lt.

Mike Claman while he was walking in the apartment complex

after 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

Bennie Ray

Yonce, 61, was charged under Georgia's Peeping Tom law,

which is classified as a felony.

"We

feel we prevented a much more serious crime," said

Maj. Mike Dupree. "This was definitely a public

safety matter that caused a potential threat to our

community."

When Claman

saw Yonce, he ducked so he wouldn't be spotted while he

radioed for backup.

Sgt. David

Lamb and Patrolman Shawn Brotherton helped surround Yonce

so he couldn't get away when they moved in to make the

arrest, Dupree added.

The foot

patrols at Coral Gables were instituted because of

several recent thefts in the apartment complex, Dupree

said. In fact, when Lt. Claman parked his patrol vehicle,

he unknowingly parked in a space next to Yonce's vehicle,

Dupree added.

The victim

was unaware of the situation until she made contact with

the officers outside the residence, Dupree said. Police

were unable to discover a connection to Yonce that could

have explained why he was in Peachtree City, Dupree

added.

"We

were very fortunate," Dupree said. "We don't

know what this guy was going to do."