Two people on foot broke into the Dollar General Store on Ivylog Road in the early morning hours of Monday, June 23, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help identifying them.
Investigators have released images from a store security camera showing the wanted individuals wearing face coverings with hoodies pulled up. The suspects are currently believed to be a young male and female in the age range of teenagers to early 20s, said UCSO Capt. Doug Brackett.
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Unfortunately, their faces are not clearly visible in the footage, but UCSO is hopeful that someone will recognize something about the pair that leads to an arrest.
“If you recognize the clothing or know of any information, please contact the Union County Sheriff’s Office at 706-439-6066,” UCSO posted to Facebook June 24.
The break-in occurred between 2:30 and 3 a.m., after the store had been closed for hours and when most residents were asleep at home. For whatever reason – hunger, cigarettes, items to sell for drug money – two people walked up to the storefront with a wood-handle hammer.
Capt. Brackett said they stood at the front door for a little while, swapping the hammer back and forth. As seen in the security footage, the male finally settled on what he was going to do, taking multiple practice swings before shattering the door glass in a single blow.
The alarm began to sound as they entered, spooking them from finishing what they started – the pair had a large reusable shopping bag with trees printed on it, possibly a Christmas design – and they took off running up Ivylog Road, east in the direction of Moccasin Road.
Investigators are unsure if the couple had a vehicle parked nearby but believe they could be residents living nearby who walked from their home, Brackett said.
Regardless of not having taken any merchandise, when caught, the duo will be facing burglary and criminal damage to property charges, Brackett said, noting that getting them off the street is important not only for the sake of justice in this case but prevention of future criminal offenses.
“Just because they didn’t get anything from the store, they still committed a burglary – they went there with the intentions of stealing and committing this burglary,” Brackett said. “It’s just as serious to us as if they got $10,000 worth of inventory out of the store.”
Sgt. Rachel Mann is actively working the case, and she said the property damage is estimated at over $1,000. After patrol deputies cleared the scene, Mann and Brackett traveled to the store to conduct interviews and canvas the area, to include door-knocking in nearby neighborhoods.
Already, they have generated multiple leads, though none have panned out. Brackett said that any information, no matter how trivial it might seem, could lead to a break in the case, and UCSO is committed to investigating every single tip that comes in.
The Sheriff’s Office is hoping someone spotted either a couple walking or a car parked in the Ivylog area around the time of the break-in and can provide a description; that a neighbor of the individuals might recognize their clothing from the images; that a family member can identify one or both individuals; or that someone came across discarded gloves, masks or clothes that could narrow down the search area.
“Somebody knows these folks,” Brackett said. “Even though they had masks on and gloves, somebody will recognize the clothing they’re wearing, recognize them by their height, the way they carry themselves.
“So, we’re asking for the public to help, and they can call the Sheriff’s Office with any tips or information they’ve got. We’ll keep all tips anonymous, and we’ll check every tip out; even if it seems silly to them, still call in.
“And we’re asking anybody in the area, if they’ve got cameras at their house that show the road or any roads that are off of Ivylog, please check them back during that time and see if they see anything; if anybody catches anything on their cameras, please call and tell us.”
