Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies arrested three people on Tuesday connected with a string of recent vehicle burglaries.
According to a CCSO press release, deputies apprehended Devon Welch (18), Dillon Welch (17) and Rickey Curlin (16) late Tuesday afternoon.
The arrests came after detectives had been investigating a rash of vehicle burglaries occurring in several neighborhoods throughout Columbia County. The suspects had been seen on video and detectives asked the public for additional video —which included home surveillance footage — that CCSO posted on its social media site linking them to other burglaries.
School resource deputies learned of an incident that occurred during Columbia High School’s (CHS) orientation, according to the release, that determined two of the suspects in the burglary case had a firearm on school property. One of the suspects displayed the weapon in the CHS parking lot during an altercation.
“I am so proud of our community for working with us to solve these crimes,” said Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter in a statement. “This shows what can be accomplished when citizens work together with law enforcement. I also want to thank our detectives and school resource deputies for working so quickly to ensure school safety. We take any report of a weapon on our school campuses seriously and will work aggressively to keep our children safe.”
The release stated that additional charges may be forthcoming as detectives continue the investigation that may involve active cases in other jurisdictions.