An adult and two juveniles face a total of 90 juvenile complaint charges and 45 arrest warrants for a string of entering autos and vehicle thefts in Habersham County late last month.
The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division has completed its investigation into the Aug. 29 incidents that occurred in the Woodcrest Subdivision off Rennie Hames Road outside Clarkesville.
Working in conjunction with the Dekalb County Police Department, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Canton Police Department, the G.B.I. Gang Task Force and the ATF, Habersham County Sheriff’s Office investigators have been able to identify two juveniles and one adult suspect responsible for the crimes committed in Woodcrest Subdivision, said Habersham Sheriff’s Lt. Matt Wurtz.
These same suspects are also part of a larger criminal street gang subset known as Bloxk Rixh (Block Rich), Wurtz said. There is additional evidence proving that members of this gang are also responsible for similar crimes that were committed in Hall County, Greene County, Pickens County and DeKalb County during this same timeframe.
Both vehicles stolen from Habersham County were recovered during the investigation.
“I want to commend the members of my criminal investigations staff who worked this case for their diligence and persistence in identifying the perpetrators and gathering evidence to solve these crimes,” Sheriff Joey Terrell said in a statement. “It is of great concern to me that armed criminals with strong gang affiliations would be bold enough to travel from the Atlanta area to our county and other counties in this region to commit crimes. The mere thought of the potential violence that these thugs could bring upon our citizens is incomprehensible. That is why the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office is taking a stand and charging these criminals with every possible violation of criminal law available. Our message is meant to be very clear: In Habersham County, we refuse to let criminal street gangs invade our community. You will be caught, and you will be held fully accountable for your actions.”
Below is a list of the charges being filed against the three suspects in the case, whether through arrest warrant or by juvenile complaint:
- One count of felony theft by taking – firearm, punishable by from two to 20 years of incarceration upon successful prosecution,
- Two counts of felony theft by taking – motor vehicle, punishable by from two to 20 years of incarceration,
- 36 counts of Georgia Street Gang Terrorism Act, punishable by from two to 20 years of incarceration,
- Five counts of felony entering auto, punishable by from one to five years of incarceration, and
- One count of burglary, punishable by from one to 20 years of incarceration.
