Pair arrested in Clemson for breaking into vehicles, faces charges in Stephens County

Additional charges have been brought up against the two men from Greenville South Carolina who were linked to the recent string of vehicle break-ins in Stephens County.

The men are identified as 30-year-old Vonnie Earl Locklear, and 22-year-old Wallace Wardlaw, both of Greenville, South Carolina.

According to Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley, on August 15, his office received three reports of vehicles being entered and items stolen from inside. Two of those reports were from Maplewood Drive and the other from Virginia Drive in Toccoa.

Initial responding deputies were able to speak with one of the neighbors of one of the victims, who provided a description of the suspect’s vehicle and one of the suspects.

The vehicle was described as being a blue Chevrolet Malibu and the one suspect was described as a white male with red hair and a short beard. The description was sent out to all law enforcement agencies in the surrounding area.

Shirley says that when investigators were following up, they learned that the Toccoa Police Department were investigating eight similar reports that came in the same night of the incident.

As we told you earlier this week, the pair were captured by Clemson Police the evening of August 15. According to a report released by the Clemson Police Department, the two were arrested in a stolen blue Chevy Malibu.

Shirley tells WNEG News that investigators from Stephens County along with detectives from Toccoa Police Department teamed together and traveled to Clemson to assist in executing a search warrant on the vehicle.

Investigators and detectives located items linked to each of the three entering auto reports filed in the County as well as several items linked to the reports that had been filed with the City of Toccoa.

As of this report, Clemson Police have charged the pair with Larceny of a motor vehicle as well as weapons charges related to firearms that were located on their persons and in the vehicle.

Stephens County Sheriff’s Office and the Toccoa Police Department have charged the pair with theft by taking. Shirley says the pair crossed state lines in hopes of an easy crime spree; however, he says great communication between agencies and attentive neighbors who observed unusual activity in their neighborhood, lead to the ultimate arrest and recovery of the stolen property.

Depending on the outcome of the charges in South Carolina, the two suspects will likely be extradited back to Georgia.