Crime & Safety
Four Arrests Made After Sheriff Spots Suspicious Truckload of Scrap Metal
The metal had been taken from a property on Union Church Road, an area that had previously been targeted by thieves, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Four suspected metal thieves were booked into the Oconee County Jail Tuesday after Sheriff Scott Berry spotted a truck overloaded with scrap metal in an area of the county that had previously been targeted by thieves.
According to a news release, Berry was on Union Church Road just before 1 p.m. and saw the truck pulling out of a wooded area. He initiated a traffic stop and recognized one of the four individuals from other theft and burglary incidents.
The property owners confirmed the metal in the truck bed had been taken from their barn and deputies also noticed "fresh" tire tracks near the storage area, the release noted.
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Watkinsville residents Christopher Brian Fattig, 36; Michael Donovan Schmidt, 43; Ann Marie Porter, 41; and 26-year-old Eric Malcolm Savage were charged with felony theft by taking and criminal trespass, according to jail records.
Correction: The Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that the name of one of the individuals arrested was incorrect in the original news release. The article has been updated.
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