Following a tip from the Milledgeville Police Department (MPD), a joint investigation between the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Sandersville Police Department led to three teenagers being charged in connection with a series of vehicle break-ins and the theft of at least two cars.
MPD officers responded Aug. 13 to a report of three male subjects attempting to enter vehicles at an apartment complex at 605 N. Columbia St.
While patrolling the area, MPD Officer Jordan Guy saw a Dodge Charger being driven without headlights, so he initiated a traffic stop. The car sped away, however, leading to short pursuit that ended with the vehicle crashing into the side of Century Bank & Trust in downtown Milledgeville.
All three occupants of the car fled on foot toward Georgia Military College and St. Stephens Episcopal Church, but K9 Officer Aaron Lewis deployed his dog, Diesel, who successfully found all three of them hiding nearby in some shrubbery on the GMC Prep campus.
The three teens were taken into custody, with no injuries reported from the wreck.
“Not exactly how we planned to start the day, but thanks to the quick response from the Milledgeville Police Department, our community is safe, and we were able to get right back to business,” Century Bank & Trust posted later that morning to its Facebook page. “We’re grateful for their dedication and for lending us a hand.”
Further police investigation revealed several stolen firearms and key fobs to other vehicles inside the crashed car. The items had been reported stolen from Sandersville, along with the vehicle itself.
From the firearm tip, Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigators, coordinating with detectives from the Sandersville Police Department, were able to gather enough evidence to charge the suspects with 31 incidents of entering automobiles, spanning from March to July.
“We extend our sincere thanks to the Milledgeville Police Department and the Sandersville Police Department for their outstanding coordination and support throughout this investigation,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.
Reginald Canty, Jr., 17, of Tennille, and two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old were arrested and charged with entering autos, thefts of firearms, and two vehicle thefts, both in Sandersville. More arrests related to this case are expected.