A Georgia man with a criminal history was arrested on burglary charges in connection with a break-in at Harbor Freight Tools in Statesboro.
According to a release from Statesboro Police Capt. Jared Akins, SPD Patrol officers responded to Harbor Freight on Highway 80 East for an alarm activation about 10:35 Wednesday night.
Arriving on the scene, officers discovered someone had forcibly entered the store. While reviewing video from the store’s surveillance system, a truck with a trailer could be seen pulling up outside the store after it closed. Also, a man was seen exiting the truck and is later seen on video inside the store.
Nothing was stolen as the burglar fled upon tripping the alarm, Akins said. Officers searched the area but could not locate the burglar or his vehicle.
The next morning, Thursday, officers were called to the Goodwill store on Highway 80 East, which is across the highway from Harbor Freight, at 8:30.
“Employees there had come to work to find their loading dock camera damaged and an unfamiliar truck and trailer parked near that area of the building,” Akins said.
Officers were told there were previous attempts at theft from the same area of the Goodwill building.
Akins said detectives investigating the Harbor Freight burglary were able to confirm the truck and trailer at Goodwill were the same seen on video the previous night. The truck was registered to Kyle Matthew Edenfield of Kite, Ga.
Detectives obtained a warrant and the truck was searched.
Later on Thursday, employees at Goodwill called officers back to the store when a suspicious man was seen loitering in the area. Akins said officers made contact with the man and he confirmed that he was Kyle Edenfield.
Edenfield, 35, was taken into custody and, upon further investigation, was charged with second-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree criminal damage to property, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of a drug related object.
Akins said Edenfield has an extensive criminal history that includes burglary. He remains at the Bulloch County Jail, pending further judicial action.
Anyone with information on either of the cases is asked to contact Det. Donald White at (912) 764-9911 or submit an anonymous tip to tips@statesboroga.gov.