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ECSO arrests six teens in ring of car break-ins
donnelly joshua
Joshua Donnelly

Six teens have been arrested following a crime spree of several neighborhoods in south Effingham County, according to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office.

Over the past several days, ECSO investigators followed leads on 12 reports of someone entering autos.

Early Saturday morning, deputies received reports of vehicle break-ins in the Jamestown subdivision, Buckingham Plantation and Auriga Farms neighborhood.

Several items were taken from unsecured vehicles, including computers, iPods, GPS devices and credit cards.

Investigators have charged four 15-year-olds, a 14-year-old, and Joshua Donnelly, 18, of Guyton with 12 counts of entering a motor vehicle, two counts of financial transaction cardtheft, and one count of burglary.

Donnelly is being held in the Effingham County Jail, and the juveniles are being held in the Chatham County Youth Detention Center.

Items taken during the vehicle break-ins have been returned to their rightful owners.

The ECSO also received reports of someone breaking into vehicles along Chimney Road on Thursday night. Those vehicles also were left unlocked, according to the ECSO. Anyone with information on that case is asked to the ECSO at 754-3449.

Deputies want to remind citizens to lock their car doors and not leave valuables in visible places. There have been several entering auto reports recently and almost all of the victims left their vehicles unsecured, according to the ECSO.