Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The burglary of a construction site resulted in the arrest of two men who stole approximately $6,000 worth of items. On Monday, Jan. 20, at approximately 10:34 a.m., Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Deputy Shelby Hayes responded to an address on 209th Court in Live Oak in reference to a theft. Upon arrival, Deputy Hayes made contact with the victim at a lot where a house was being constructed. The victim stated that someone stole a 2.5-ton Valvo central air conditioner unit along with two boxes of doorknobs and a bathroom wall mirror. The air conditioning unit was installed just behind the house next to the back door. The bathroom mirror was inside the home at the time of the theft. However, because there were no doorknobs or locking mechanisms, the thieves did not have to force their way inside the house. The incident was captured on surveillance cameras, with the theft taking place on Sunday, Jan. 19, at approximately 7:30 a.m. The video showed a blue truck with a trailer attached to it, which had traveled behind the house. However, the video did not show anything being stolen. Upon viewing the video, Deputy Justin Dalton advised that he had observed a similar vehicle, a blue Dodge Dakota, on Saturday, Jan. 18., at a residence on Garrison Road in Live Oak. A license plate check identified the owner of the vehicle and ultimately led investigators to the residence on Garrison Road. An individual who was not identified in the reports shared that she was with 30-year-old Dylan Troy Pennington and 37-year-old James Nathaniel Brannon at the time of the theft, but stated she did not steal anything. According to the report, Brannon was detained at the house and read his Miranda Rights. Brannon confessed that Pennington and the unidentified individual were along for the ride. He stated that, as they were riding, they located an abandoned lot. Upon pulling into the lot, Pennington allegedly got out of the truck and started loading things up on the trailer. Brannon said that Pennington had hollered for him to help load up the air conditioning unit. Deputies learned that Pennington had fled the house after they arrived at the home on Garrison Road, and SCSO and Suwannee Correctional Institute K-9 units were deployed. K-9 Thor located Pennington, who denied any wrongdoing and claimed that Brannon was driving the truck. When deputies searched Pennington’s backpack, they located a box of new doorknobs with his name carved on the box. The victim had estimated that the items stolen and later recovered were valued at approximately $6,000. Brannon and Pennington were charged with one count of burglary and three counts of larceny. Both were transported to the Suwannee County Jail with no bail.