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A total of ten firearms and an unknown amount of ammunition were stolen in two burglaries in three days at Baxley’s Pawn Shop on Patterson Street in Barnwell. The burglary spree resulted in $1,800 worth of merchandise being stolen and four individuals arrested.
The first break-in occurred on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 11:17 p.m and the second on Sunday, Oct. 22 shortly after midnight. The Barnwell Police Department (BPD) has identified four suspects all residing in Fairfax– two of which are juveniles.
According to BPD, the suspects broke into the pawn shop on Oct. 19 and stole multiple .22 rifles and returned on Oct. 22 to steal AR-15 style rifles. Handguns and ammunition were also stolen.
Four out of the 10 stolen weapons and a portion of the ammunition have been recovered thus far. BPD does not feel the community should be concerned, but urges citizens to always pay attention to their surroundings, lock their cars, and call law enforcement if they see something suspicious.
On Oct. 19, BPD officers were dispatched to the pawn shop in response to an active alarm. Upon arrival, officers observed the front door of the business had been broken and the gate had been opened.
“Barnwell County Dispatch (BCD) notified R/O that there were multiple alarms taking place inside the business,” stated the incident report.
A similar train of events occurred three days later on Oct. 22 at the time of the second break-in. No one was located inside the pawn shop when law enforcement arrived on both occasions.
“If we were to catch them in the business, there were several firearms and enormous amounts of ammunition that came into play. It could have been a very bad situation. It didn’t, but the potential was there,” said BPD Detective Dennis Boots at a subsequent bond hearing.
Two days after the second burglary on Oct. 24, 18-year-old Anthony Wiedenmann of Loganville, Ga., was arrested and charged with two counts of burglary-second degree/violent, and two counts of grand larceny with a value more than $2,000 but less than $10,000.
“Wiedenmann did knowingly intentionally and unlawfully forcibly enter the close business…with the intent to commit a larceny within. This act taking place during the hours of darkness and the defendant became armed during the commission of this crime,” states the arrest warrants for the larceny charges.
The arrest warrant for burglary states once Wiedenmann was “inside, the defendant did take and carry away several firearms and ammunition.”
According to Detective Boots, Wiedenmann was staying in Fairfax at the time of the incident.
On Oct. 27, 18-year-old Marvin Taylor of Fairfax was arrested by BPD and charged with burglary- second degree/violent, grand larceny with a value more than $2,000 and less than $10,000, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Two Fairfax juveniles have also been identified in these burglaries, both have been arrested.
Bond was granted for Taylor: $5,000 for each the possession charge and the grand larceny charge, and $15,000 for the burglary charge. Taylor’s total $25,000 bond was posted on Oct. 29.
Wiedenmann was denied bond at the Oct. 25 bond hearing before Barnwell magistrate Judge Susan Anderson.
“Due to the severity of the crime and it being violent in nature…the amount of weapons that were involved and ammunition and all, I am going to agree with the state and deny the bond,” said Judge Anderson at Wiedenmann’s bond hearing.
Boots spoke during the bond hearing on behalf of BPD to request Wiedenmann not be granted bond as he is deemed a flight risk with no connection to Barnwell County.
“On behalf of the Barnwell Police Department, we respectfully request no bond. The defendant has no ties to Barnwell and gave his home address as being in Georgia, so there is potential of a flight risk,” said Boots. “Burglary second is a violent crime, and it carries up to 15 years in prison and it is a strike in the three-strike system.”
According to Boots at the bond hearing, two potential warrants were coming forward such as possession of a weapon during a violent crime as there were several firearms and ammunition in play.
On Oct. 30, Wiedenmann was charged with two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Judge Anderson granted Wiedenmann a $5,000 surety bond for each of these charges.
Wiedenmann was charged with six counts in relation to this incident in total.
Shop owner Mike Baxley asked the magistrate court to consider the danger of the situation at Wiedenmann’s bond hearing.
“Your honor, I'd just like the court to understand the magnitude of this situation. Firearms are involved, the type of firearms that are involved can be an imminent danger to law enforcement and a definite danger to the community,” said Baxley.
Wiedenmann was also given the opportunity to make a statement.
“I truly am sorry for what I have caused to the [City of] Barnwell, I have never been here…I’ve never been in trouble, I was greatly influenced, and I am truly sorry,” said Wiedenmann before breaking down in tears. “I was man enough to do the crime, so I am man enough to do the time.”
Wiedenmann and Taylor are set to appear in the Barnwell County courthouse on January 22, 2024.
