An armed teen suspect was arrested Sunday when a sheriff's deputy reportedly caught him with a stolen utility vehicle and a stolen handgun.

Bulloch County Sheriff's Sgt. Travis Tuengue was patrolling the commercial business district near Mill Creek Park around 3 a.m. Sunday when he saw someone on a John Deere Gator traveling on Highway 24, said Bulloch County Sheriff Lynn Anderson.

The Gator matched the description of one reported stolen April 9 from a Clito Road business, so Tuenge "stopped the UTV after a short distance and observed the male driver fumbling around in his waistband apparently attempting to remove an object," he said.

Following officer safety policies, Tuenge "drew his weapon and began giving the driver verbal commands to put his hands up. After a short time the male complied and was taken into custody," Anderson said.

The teen, a 16-year-old juvenile, likely was grabbing for a Glock .40 handgun, which had been stolen from Lane Road April 3, he said.

Further investigation revealed that the Gator the teen was driving was the one stolen from the Clito business, Anderson said.

Tuenge notified the on-call Bulloch County Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Division Capt. Todd
Hutchens, who took over the investigation and learned the teen had "committed two back to back commercial burglaries" reported April 9 and 10 at the Zip N Foods #8 on Highway 24, Anderson said. Those crimes were in addition to the theft of the UTV and firearm, he said.

Deputies took the teen into custody and transported him to the Bulloch County Jail. He later was transferred to the Claxton Regional Youth Detention Center, charged with one count of "smash and grab" burglary, three counts of second-degree burglary, one count of entering auto, one count of felony theft by taking, one count of possession of a pistol by a person under 18 and one count of carrying a concealed weapon.

"This incident highlights the ease in which incidents can turn deadly quickly," Anderson said. "The situation could have been one of deadly force had the juvenile actually pulled the firearm from his waistband. Deputies must make split second decisions which can have lasting consequences."

In this case, the deputy "had no way of knowing that the suspect was a juvenile. Fortunately Sgt. Tuenge exercised appropriate restraint and the juvenile finally complied," Anderson said.

Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.