Police solve car break-ins across N. Ga.

Several police jurisdictions inside and outside of Cherokee County have nabbed two different groups of alleged perpetrators in several entering auto cases involving more than 150 victims.

Two men were arrested at their Bryan County home in Richmond Hill, which is near Savannah, Feb. 3 and charged them with breaking into more than 20 cars, officials said.

Unclaimed property recovered from burglarized autos across North Georgia is being stored at the South Annex at 7545 North Main St. in Woodstock. Officials have photo-catalogued the items for the public to view. For more information, call (770) 928-0239.

Canton police have charged Gary Carter with four counts of entering auto, said Sgt. Matt Baldwin, of Canton police’s Criminal Investigation Division.

Officials with the sheriff’s office and Canton police said some of the vehicles allegedly  broken into by Gary and Joseph Carter were unlocked, however, some windows had been broken to gain access.

The pair is believed to have committed numerous thefts in Canton and unincorporated Cherokee County,  as well as other jurisdictions, including Alpharetta and Forsyth County. Baker said more charges from other jurisdictions are expected.

In a separate case, detectives with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Canton police arrested four suspects who are accused of illegally entering more than 20 cars in the Arnold Mill Road, East Cherokee Drive and Ga. 140 corridors. All of those vehicles were unlocked, police said.

The sheriff’s office arrested John Sharp, 20, of Woodstock, Jan. 22 and charged him with 16 counts of entering auto and two counts of theft of lost or mislaid property, Baker said. Tyler Nash, 17, of Woodstock, was arrested Jan. 25 and was charged with 15 counts of entering auto, Baker said. Chad York, 18, of Woodstock, was arrested Jan. 29 and charged with three counts of party to a crime-entering auto, Baker said. A fourth suspect, whose name was not released due to his age, also was arrested and charged with 18 counts of entering auto, Baker said. That suspect was released to his parents, Baker said.

Canton police Sgt. Matt Baldwin said his department has charged Sharp and another suspect, Jacob Cox, 17, of Woodstock, with one count each of entering auto.

At press time, two juveniles were wanted for their alleged involvement in the thefts, Baldwin said.

Baker said the suspects arrested in that case are suspected of trading the stolen items for marijuana.

Lt. Jamie Gianfala, of the sheriff’s office’s Criminal Investigation Division, said the arrests came from a collaborative effort of all the detectives in the sheriff’s office’s property crimes unit, as well as Canton police and other jurisdictions.

“Both of the cases involved numerous victims. They were worked as a collective unit,” Gianfala said. “Detectives were up early following people around; they stayed late to follow people around. It was too much for one person. They used every resource imaginable. It was good, old-fashioned police work.”

The Carter brothers reportedly are connected to as many as 100 entering autos cases in North Georgia, Baker said.

Canton police were notified that two cell phones that had been stolen from burglarized autos in Laurel Canyon in December and Mountain View in January were being used. Police said they were able to obtain phone records, which showed several calls made to Laina Nichole Bumpus’ cell phone and work phone number.

Canton police executed a search warrant at Bumpus’ apartment—Bumpus reportedly is the girlfriend of one of the Carter brothers. 

The suspects also allegedly used a stolen credit card to purchase gas, and the sheriff’s office was able to obtain video surveillance of the suspects filling the car, which matched the description of the girlfriend’s car, Baker said.

On Feb. 5, Canton police secured an arrest warrant for Bumpus, 35, of Canton, Baldwin said.

The charges against her include four counts of entering auto, Baldwin said, adding more could be leveled.

Woodstock police are investigating more than 20 entering autos, of which the Carter brothers may be suspects.

Lt. Kevin Culpepper, of Woodstock’s Investigative Services Unit, said the city police department has 22 open entering auto cases that detectives are investigating.

No charges had been filed by Woodstock police against the Carters at press time.

Baker said police originally thought the Carters only were responsible for entering autos in January, but the investigation revealed that they allegedly were involved in December thefts, as well. He said sheriff’s office detectives planned to review unsolved entering auto cases spanning back to June to determine if the Gary and Joseph Carter may have been involved in those.

In all of the entering auto cases, items stolen include iPods, GPS units, credit cards, laptops, purses, cash and a firearm.

The sheriff’s office and Canton police believe there are more victims than have come forward. The sheriff’s office also still has a slew of stolen items that have not been claimed. There is an album of pictures of the stolen items at the South Annex, 7545 North Main St., Woodstock, for people to view. 

A person must prove ownership of the property.

For more information, call (770) 928-0239.

Anyone who lives or works in the Canton police jurisdiction and believes he or she has been a victim, call (770) 720-4883.