Three suspects arrested for entering of auto cases

Published 10:56 pm Monday, October 17, 2022

A young man and woman along with a local teen have been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into thefts involving unlocked cars and trucks in Milledgeville and Baldwin County.

At least six such cases happened at Villamar Apartments, located at 342 Log Cabin Road.

Authorities also impounded a car believed used during six of the latest vehicle crimes.

The arrests of the trio of suspects happened Sunday night after a traffic stop by Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Lt. Jerome Roberts.

The suspects were identified Monday morning by Lt. Lee Williamson as Jeremy Andrew Blizard, 17; Trevor Sawyer, 24; and Halie Golden, 20, all of Milledgeville.

As of Monday afternoon, they each were charged with one count of entering an auto, Williamson said. 

Blizard also was charged with driving without a license.

After their arrests, all three were taken to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and jailed.

Additional charges are expected to be filed against the trio once investigators and detectives from the sheriff’s office, the Milledgeville Police Department and Georgia College & State University Police Department look further into the case.

Maj. Brad King, who heads the sheriff’s office criminal investigation division, said the suspects are believed to be connected with other similar crimes in the city and on the campus of Georgia College.

King said all three local law enforcement agencies were working closely together to solve the rash of entering cars, trucks and SUVs in which culprits steal valuables.

“We’ve had wonderful collaboration with each other because the video received from Georgia College gave us a very distinct vehicle to look at,” King said. “And we have recovered some video footage from a resident at Villamar that has the same exact vehicle.”

King said the video surveillance footage shared with the sheriff’s office from the Georgia College Police Department led to the traffic stop made Sunday night by Lt. Roberts.

The six entering autos at the apartment complex happened about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, King said. 

He pointed out that a 2022 Toyota Corolla was impounded by the sheriff’s office in connection to the case.

Detective Chris Burrell was expected to obtain a search warrant so he and other detectives could examine the contents inside it.

“There are numerous items inside it that have been identified as likely property stemming from these entering auto cases,” King told The Union-Recorder at his office Monday morning.

At least one handgun was reported stolen, according to authorities.

The car is registered to Golden, but Blizard was driving it when he was pulled over about 8:40 p.m. on a traffic charge by Lt. Roberts.

King said he anticipated that each of the suspects would be charged sometime soon with additional crimes in connection with the ongoing investigation.

“I have already spoken with the chief at Georgia College and Burrell has spoken with the investigator who is handling the case for the Milledgeville Police Department,” King said. “By sharing all of this information between the three departments, we have been able to basically to bring a resolution to this in less than 24 hours.”

King said it was assumed that each of the vehicles that were entered at the apartment complex early Sunday had been left unlocked by their owners.

“There was no mention of any broken glass in any of the incident reports,” King said. “So, I’m assuming they were unlocked.”

As he has emphasized before, King urges all vehicle owners to please, please lock your vehicle.

“And secure your firearms, properly,” he said. “Never leave valuables in plain view inside a vehicle. At a minimum, local your vehicle. And on top of that, almost all vehicles these days have a lockable glove box or a lockable console. There again, certainly don’t leave items of value in plain sight. Ultimately, you could never go wrong by taking your weapon or anything else of value inside. If you’re going to leave your weapon in your vehicle at all times, then absolutely, positively, at a minimum, may sure that it’s not in plain sight and the vehicle is locked.”

Williamson said a handgun, along with some sunglasses and some tools were stolen from vehicles at the apartment complex early Sunday.

“It looks like they just went through a couple of cars and didn’t actually take anything at all,” Williamson said.