Deputies: Group broke into tractor dealership twice, stole utility vehicles

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County deputies believe the same group of thieves broke into a Ravenel tractor dealership twice and stole seven utility vehicles.

Investigators say the thefts occurred on Aug. 17 and this past Tuesday at Sparrow and Kennedy on Savannah Highway. Deputies say both crimes were committed between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.

The dealership’s floor manager says the thieves got inside by cutting a hole in a fence.

Surveillance video shows what’s believed to be three people on the property driving the vehicles through another fence and on to Savannah Highway. Two of the seven vehicles were recovered.

Floor manager Ben Stark says they are worth a total of about $150,000.

“For one, it’s not fun waking up at three o’clock in the morning, knowing I got to come down and see what they’ve got this time,” Stark said. “It ends up being a lot of paperwork and a lot of headaches, frankly a lot of money.”

“They’re getting more and more brazen,” Stark said. “They’re doing things that nobody would have thought somebody would do to steal equipment.”

The sheriff’s office says the people who stole from the tractor dealership also may also be responsible for similar crimes at the Lowcountry Leadership Academy in Hollywood.

“We have concern that if they’re not already doing this in other locations, other jurisdictions, they’re going to continue doing that,” said Capt. Roger Antonio with the sheriff’s office. “So we’re trying to do whatever we can to identify these subjects.”

Sparrow and Kennedy is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information should call the sheriff’s office at (843) 529-5327.

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