Two Orlando men were arrested on traffic charges in Turner County in south Georgia following a police chase.
A search of their vehicle turned up jewelry taken from North Georgia Diamond in East Ellijay during an early morning burglary Thursday, Dec. 5, Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson said. A warrant for burglary has been issued for each man.
Kimmone Alexander Stewart, 22, and Tyreke Marquise McCloud, 21, both of Orlando, are in custody in Turner County on traffic charges related to the police chase.
An employee of North Georgia Diamond showed up for work Thursday morning, Dec. 5, and found the store had been broken into. East Ellijay officers responded to the scene and cleared the building, said East Ellijay Chief of Police Larry Callahan.
Gilmer County Sheriff’s detectives were asked to take lead on the investigation, and the Georgia Bureau of Inversitgation was contacted to process the crime scene, Nicholson said.
Starting at 3 a.m., it appeared the suspects began casing the place in a bright green Dodge Charger according to video surveillance at the store and from surrounding cameras, Callahan said.
About 45 to 55 minutes later, two males forced entry and were in and out of the building in under two minutes.
Upward of $200,000 of merchandise was taken from the store, Nicholson said.
A break in the case came when Turner County sheriff deputies attempted to stop a bright green Dodge Charger for speeding, Nicholson said. A chase led to the suspects wrecking the vehicle.
Turner County deputies found the jewelry and began asking other jurisdictions about possible thefts. Gilmer County detectives were able to match items from the North Georgia Diamond breakin, Nicholson said. Warrants were issued Dec. 6.
Once Stewart and McCloud face traffic charges in Turner County, they will be extradited to Gilmer County to face burglary charges.