by Two major suspects and a number of fugitives wanted on felony charges have been apprehended as a result of a burglary investigation in Stephens County. Numerous local and state law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.
Break-in on Shady Lane
Deputies from the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) were called to a break-in at a house on Shady Lane in Toccoa on July 24. This marked the start of the case. After a family member passed away, a woman who was checking on the property discovered it had been looted and that personal documents, jewelry, and firearms were gone.
Investigators gathered sufficient evidence during the course of the inquiry to name Brandon Lee Threlkeld, 32, of Toccoa as a suspect. He was the subject of arrest warrants for criminal trespass and first-degree burglary.
Second burglary suspect caught
Sydnie Alexander, 26, of Toccoa, was taken into custody by deputies on August 4 after they allegedly saw her trying to break into a building on Phillips Road, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to Rebekah Smith, the SCSO Public Information Officer, she was later connected to another break-in on Lake Louise Road.
Three counts of criminal trespass, burglary, second-degree criminal damage to property, entering a vehicle with the purpose to steal, and criminal attempt to conduct a felony were among the charges deputies brought against Alexander. She was still being held at the Stephens County Jail on a $75,000 bond as of Monday, August 11.
Later, deputies verified that Threlkeld and Alexander were present at the Phillips Road address.
Smith claimed that following multiple attempts to apprehend Threlkeld, the suspect managed to elude authorities into other counties. In an attempt to find him, the sheriff’s office posted a lookout for him.
Fugitive roundup
Deputies allegedly searched a house on Davis Avenue in Toccoa where Threlkeld was hiding two days later, on August 6. Investigators detained 52-year-old Courtney Bohannon for allegedly aiding him in hiding, even though he was not present. Bohannon was taken into custody and sent to the Stephens County Jail, where she is still being held on a felony charge of tampering with evidence.
According to Smith, deputies found a nest of wanted fugitives during the search on Davis Avenue. Four individuals who were wanted for felony probation and parole violations were taken into custody. They were identified by authorities as Toccoa residents Nichole Mote, 35, Austin Goggans, 24, William Smith, 34, and Stephen Maye, 41.
Threlkeld taken into custody
During a late-night traffic check on Big A Road close to Rock Creek Road on August 9, Threlkeld was apprehended. According to Smith, deputies apprehended him without incident after discovering him in a Toyota Camry. Threlkeld is currently facing additional charges related to the Lake Louise Road case, including burglary, criminal attempt to conduct a felony, and entering auto with intent to steal, in addition to the Shady Lane break-in.
Sheriff Rusty Fulbright of Stephens County acknowledged the help of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Toccoa Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) Task Force.
Fulbright stated that further arrests might come as the investigation continues.
