Two Charged With Burglary at Tugaloo State Park

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Two Lavonia men are charged with burglary and drug possession after an incident over the weekend at Tugaloo State Park.

Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas tells WLHR News the arrests came Friday.

“Early Friday morning, officers observed a white four-door sedan with two males. The officers observed the rear seat of the vehicle to contain property that was concealed,” Thomas said. “Uniform Patrol attempted to stop the vehicle, but were unsuccessful due to a large amount of holiday traffic.

A lookout was placed on the vehicle and Thomas says it was spotted again later Friday afternoon. According to Thomas, a tip led his officers to a home in the Gumlog community.

“Officers encountered the white sedan and learned that a quantity of property had been concealed at a residence,” Thomas said. “Officers identified the residence were a search was conducted and multiple flat screen TV’s were located.”

Thomas said that discovery led officers to Tugaloo State Park where Park Rangers were investigating burglaries of rental cabins that happened early Friday morning.

“Park Rangers were investigating burglaries that involved rental cabins on the State park. The recovered flat screen TV’s were taken from the cabins where the suspects had made forced entry during the morning hours of March 25, 2016,” he said.

Franklin County deputies, along with rangers from Tugaloo State Park arrested 43-year old Brian Keith Roberts and 31-year old Tony Randall Patton both of Lavonia.

Thomas said both Roberts and Patton had recently moved to the Lavonia from the Barrow-Winder area.

Both were charged with two counts of burglary and one count of possession of a methamphetamine.

Patton was released in November 2015 from Georgia State Prison after serving two years of a three-year sentence for meth possession and escape in Barrow County.

As of Tuesday, Roberts and Patton were still being held in the Franklin County Detention Center.