A “career criminal” from Maryland tried breaking into a local motor sports shop, but an alert sheriff’s investigator thwarted his plan, said Bulloch County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jared Akins.

The sherif’s investigator received a commendation for his actions, he said.

Just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, Inv. Dusty Williams was “on routine patrol when he observed a large rental truck pulled up to Kawasaki of Statesboro,” Akins said.

Williams turned around to check out the truck, but the driver fled at “a high rate of speed,” he said. “Williams pursued the truck onto Burkhalter Road until its two occupants abandoned the truck and fled on foot.”

Bulloch County Sheriff’s patrol deputies, joined by Brooklet police officers and Georgia State Patrol Post 45 troopers, set up a perimeter in the area. A short time later Trooper First Class Robbie Scott captured one of the suspects, later identified as John Michael Best, 46, Baltimore, MD.

’Deputies later discovered that the front doors of Kawasaki of Statesboro had been pried open, but no items were missing as the burglary was interrupted by Inv. Williams,” Akins said. “Best is a career criminal and has nearly 40 arrests in Georgia and Maryland, including multiple armed robberies and drug charges.”

Best remains in the Bulloch County Jail charged with first degree burglary, fleeing and attempting to elude, obstruction, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and driving with a suspended license.

Sheriff’s deputies continue to search for the second suspect, he said.

“Investigator Williams received a commendation for his prevention of this commercial burglary, which would undoubtedly cost the business owner tens of thousands of dollars in inventory stolen,” he said.