Using video from a concerned citizen, Statesboro Police Department detectives were able to take that information and track a vehicle to Burke County and then enlist the aid of Burke deputies to rescue a local woman.

According to a Thursday afternoon release from Capt. Jared Akins, the SPD received an anonymous tip on Wednesday, along with accompanying video clips, from a concerned citizen.

“That citizen believed they had witnessed the abduction of a female who had been walking on South Main Street,” Akins said. “The video clips provided key information to detectives, enabling them to identify the vehicle used and its registered owner, 34-year-old Xavier Evans of Hephzibah.”

Using both the Fusus video-sharing network and the Flock tag reader system, Statesboro detectives tracked Evans’s vehicle as it returned to Burke County. Detectives then requested that Burke County Sheriff’s Office deputies check Evans’s residence, Akins said.

“Upon arrival, deputies made contact with a female, who confirmed that Evans had forced her into the vehicle in Statesboro,” Akins said. “The two were formerly in a romantic relationship, and the victim had moved to Statesboro several weeks prior to break ties with Evans.”

After a brief confrontation with deputies, Evans was taken into custody.

Subsequent investigations by Statesboro PD detectives linked Evans to three unsolved arson cases involving fires set at the Super 8 on Jameson Avenue in Statesboro.

The woman who was taken by Evans was staying at the motel during that time period. Once again, Fusus and Flock technology proved instrumental in tracking Evans’s movements related to the arson cases, Akins said.

Evans was booked into the Bulloch County Jail on charges kidnapping, three counts of arson in the first degree and stalking. He remains in custody pending further judicial action.

“This case represents what can be accomplished when concerned citizens share vital information, when technology is utilized to its fullest potential, and when law enforcement professionals collaborate seamlessly, Akins said. “SPD would like to thank the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for its tremendous assistance in locating the victim and arresting the offender. We would also like to commend and thank the citizen who initially reached out and provided the clues needed to safely resolve this situation.”

Anyone with information on these cases is requested to contact Akins or Senior Detective Ben Purvis at (912) 764-9911 or submit an anonymous tip at https://statesboropd.com/ using the “Submit a Tip” link.