String of thefts from automobiles

    Stephens County sheriff’s deputies and investigators recently arrested two men on charges related to a string of thefts from automobiles.
    Sheriff Randy Shirley said deputies responded on Tuesday, March 23 to multiple reports that someone had entered vehicles in the area of Rock Creek Road.
    "These reports included residences on Edwards Drive, Cedar Drive, Acre Estates, and Crawford Circle, all of which occurred the night before," Shirley said.
    He  said deputies canvassed the area and found an unoccupied truck off of Deer Chase Road.
    "The vehicle was reigistered to an individual who did not live in the area and was parked suspiciously (at the) wood line," Shirley said.
    Investigators were called in and utilized footage from home security systems which showed two white men in dark clothing moving from car to car at several residences, Shirley said.
    "One of the males appeared to be the same individual that the suspicious truck was registered to," Shirley said.
    The registered owner, Shirley said, was determined to live off of Fowlertown Road.
    Shirley said investigators and deputies went to the registered owner's residence to interview him.
    "During the interview, he admitted to his involvement with the entering auto reports," Shirley said, adding the suspect also identified the other man from the surveillance footage.
    Deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence and discovered multiple items that had been reported stolen.
    A book bag near the woodline of the Fowlertown property was also found. It contained more stolen items, Shirley said.
    The other suspect was located after a 'Be On the Lookout" (BOLO) was issued describing the type of vehicle that suspect had last been seen in, Shirley said.
    A vehicle matching the BOLO was stopped by the Toccoa Police Department at around 2 p.m.  March 23 with the second suspect in the rear passenger seat, Shirley said.
    Arrested were Austin Charles Leverette, 20, and Joseph Lee Williams, 19, both of Toccoa.
    Shirley said that 34 warrants were taken by investigators during a three-day investigation after Leverette and Williams were arrested.
    "Those warrants charge the pair with unlawfully entering multiple vehicles, theft by taking, making false statements, and possession of firearms by Williams stolen from vehicles," Shirley said.
     Williams also faces a hold placed by the Georgia Department of Corrections because of a parole violation.
    "Williams (previously) served time in prison for unlawfully entering vehicles," Shirley said.
    Shirley said Toccoa police chief Jimmy Mize had reported similar incidents that occurred in the city the same night.
    "Chief Mize stated that detectives have charged the pair with 15 counts of entering autos," Shirley said.
    Shirley said the county and city law enforcement agencies worked cooperatively and "stopped a crime spree that may have been operating for some time."
    The sheriff said he was thankful for neighbors looking out for each other.
    "No one knows their community better than those who live there 24/7," Shirley said.
    "Today's technological advances and the eyes and ears of watchful ole owls are quite a combination," Shirley said.