A Starr, S.C., man, Ronald Earl Brewer, age 41, is free on bond following his arrest Friday in connection with a $30,000 theft from a storage business on Poplar Springs Road, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Brewer is accused of stealing an enclosed trailer with lawn equipment inside, a tow-along trailer and a commercial lawn mower from Public Storage.
“According to the investigation, the theft occurred in the early morning hours of June 29,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman B.J. Williams said Monday. “The owner of the stolen equipment reported the theft on July 11 after he went to the business to retrieve one of the items and found everything missing.
“Business employees provided security video showing a suspect, later identified as Brewer, hiding behind a storage building just before 1:15 a.m. on June 29. Brewer was able to manipulate the front gate so that it stayed open. He then left the property on foot, returned with a pickup truck and stole the open trailer and lawnmower. He left the property, but then returned in his truck around 7:30 a.m. At that time, he stole the enclosed trailer.”
Detectives were able to get the tag number from the pickup truck and subsequently identify Brewer as the suspect in the theft, according to Williams. They got a warrant for his arrest on Aug. 6 and working with law enforcement in South Carolina were able to arrest Brewer.
Friday sheriff’s deputies picked up Brewer from the Greenville County Detention Center in South Carolina and returned him to Gainesville. He has been charged with theft by taking.