Arrest in property crimes’ case
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Westminster man yesterday on multiple charges related to a series of property crimes that occurred this month.
21 year old Tristen Caleb Key of Little Choestoea Road was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center around 6:20pm yesterday. Key was taken into custody during a warrant service at his home address.
In all, Key has been charged with three counts each of Second Degree Burglary, Grand Larceny and Petit Larceny as well as one count each of Malicious Injury to Property, Breaking into a Motor Vehicle and Larceny of a Bicycle. All charges were obtained by Investigators from the Criminal Investigations Bureau.
In the first reported crime on or about September 6th, Key allegedly broke into a camper at an address on Rolling Drive near Westminster and took items from inside the camper as well as a gas can from the outside.
Key was also charged for breaking into a barn, located on the campus of West-Oak High School, sometime between September 9th and September 10th. During that incident, Key allegedly stole items, which included horse riding equipment and power tools.
In another crime, Key is accused of stealing an Island Cruiser Bicycle from an address on Crooks Road near Westminster. The crime occurred on or about September 10th.
In a separate incident, Key is also accused, in arrest warrants, with stealing a Golf Cart that belonged to a business on Queens Anne Lane near Seneca on or about September 15th.
There were two separate incidents, at two separate addresses, that occurred on or about September 17th that Key has been charged with. In one of those crimes, Key is accused of breaking into a 1999 Ford Box truck, which was located on Cain Drive near Seneca, and stealing a measuring wheel. In the other incident from the same date, Key is charged with stealing a John Deere Gator, from an address on Vocational Drive near Seneca, which was the property of the School District of Oconee County. Key was charged with damaging the Gator by pouring bleach over the driver’s seat area.
Lastly, Investigators also charged Key with breaking into a garage of a residence at a separate address on Little Choestoea Road on or about September 22nd. From that garage, Key allegedly stole items that included power tools.
At this time, Key remains in jail. Key was given a combined $7,125.00 surety bond on one of the Grand Larceny charges and the Larceny of a Bicycle charge. Key will have a bond hearing on the other ten charges.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation.