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The box truck was stolen sometime during the night of June 29, just hours after the owner of the cabinet shop and an employee had delivered some cabinets to a customer. It was recovered buried behind one of the suspect's residences. 

The box truck was stolen sometime during the night of June 29, just hours after the owner of the cabinet shop and an employee had delivered some cabinets to a customer. It was recovered buried behind one of the suspect's residences. 

EATONTON, Ga. — Just hours after fire destroyed C & R Custom Cabinets on U.S. Highway 441 near Lake Sinclair in Baldwin County earlier this summer, someone stole a box truck belonging to the business.

Although the suspect who actually stole the 2007 Isuzu box truck is still being sought by detectives with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, detectives and deputies in neighboring Putnam County have located a portion of the stolen truck. It was found buried on the property of a man who, along with two other suspects, were arrested last Friday afternoon on various criminal charges.

Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Detective Maj. Brad King, who had oversees the criminal investigations division, identified the man wanted for stealing the box truck as Christopher Rehwald, 34. The suspect is described as white, standing 5-foot-11 and weighing about 160 pounds. His last known residence was on Sinclair Marina Road in Milledgeville, King said.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest in connection with the theft of the box truck.

King said Rehwald also was wanted on two previous theft warrants. One is a felony while the other charge is a misdemeanor.

The box truck was stolen sometime during the night of June 29, just hours after the owner of the cabinet shop and an employee had delivered some cabinets to a customer.

“We had received some information that the vehicle was possibly in Putnam County,” King said. “So, we contacted the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and they responded to that area and located the truck.”

Immediately, Putnam County Sheriff Howard R. Sills said deputies and detectives acted on the information from Baldwin County.

King said he and Detective Chris Youngblood drove to the neighborhood where they met up with Sills, several deputies and detectives.

Sills said the arrests of three suspects took place at a residence on Sparrow Way, which runs off Rabbit Skip Road near Murder Creek, off the Gray Highway.

Authorities walked around the back of the residence when they arrived.

“There was a new metal shop type building and all the doors were open when I was walking around in there and Detective Chris Harper told me to come to the back of that building,” Sills said. “There was fresh dirt everywhere and a small backhoe.”

Detective Lt. Harry Luke along with Deputies Chris Donovan and Alfred Flores were also part of the team that went to the residence from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. 

Sills said there was about a three-foot space between the back of the metal shop building that was not covered by dirt.

“You could see that there was some sort of room or something underneath that building,” Sills said. “Then as we got to looking at it closer, it had this waterproof membrane draped across it that you would typically put on a roof. When we pulled it back, we could easily tell that it was the top of a truck body.”

The sheriff said he immediately called for a county tractor and backhoe to be brought to the property.

“That entire truck body, at least 10-foot tall; I’d say 10x20x8,” Sills said. “It was a custom-made truck body, made especially for cabinetry. Someone had buried the box portion of the truck in that hole.”

“We were able to get the victim of the crime to come to the scene and identify a number of items that were inside the truck when it was stolen,” King said.

There were a number of small hand tools.

“Fortunately, the victim of the crime was in the middle of a job and most of his really expensive equipment was at that job site,” King said.

Although the box truck itself was recovered, the truck’s chassis and cab along with the engine and transmission are still missing.

“The only thing we found was the cargo box of the truck itself,” King said, noting he had never seen a portion of a stolen truck buried before.

Sills said one of the first things found at the scene “on prominent display inside the shop building,” was the license plate to the stolen cabinet truck.

“Not only did they have the tag, but they had cut out a part of where the tag had been bolted to the back of the truck and had it on display on a workbench,” Sills said. “That’s the arrogance of criminals today. That is hoodlum arrogance.”

Sills said he and other law enforcement deputies and detectives, along with a state parole officer, tried to get someone to come to the door of the residence there for quite some time.

“Even though I didn’t need a search warrant, because it was a parole search, I decided to get a search warrant anyway, so I sent Detective Lt. Harry Luke and he got a search warrant from a magistrate judge,” Sills said. “We ended up having to force entry into that house.”

The sheriff said a battery ram was used on a door to gain entry.

“By that time, we had been several hours,” Sills said. 

The sheriff said several holes had to be made in the door of the residence before he could get inside.

Once inside, Sills said there was a bedroom with an interior door with a deadbolt lock on it.

“Again, we had to hit that door a number of times before we could get inside, Sills said, noting he was the first one inside. “I then saw a man and woman laying in bed watching us on TV the whole time.”

Video surveillance cameras were mounted all over the property.

Authorities estimated there were 10 such cameras.

“The TV was at least 55 inches and mounted on the wall of the bedroom,” Sills said.

They were identified as Douglas Paul Sikes, 61, of the 100 block of Sparrow Way, Eatonton; and Lindsay Jo White, 35, of the same address.

A third suspect also was arrested on the property. He was parked in a car. Sills identified him as Bryan Lee Banner, 42, also of the 100 block of Sparrow Way, Eatonton.

Sikes was charged with theft by receiving stolen property, possession of firearms by a convicted felon and first offender probationer, possession of marijuana less than an ounce, and Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act (VGCSA) for possession of methamphetamine.

White was charged with VGCSA for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana less than an ounce, and possession and use of a drug related object.

Banner, meanwhile, was charged with VGCSA for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of or transport of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm or knife during the commission or attempt to commit a certain crime, possession of a Scheduled III narcotic, and possession and use of a drug related object.

All three suspects are being held in the Putnam County Jail.

Anyone with any information concerning the whereabouts of Rehwald who is wanted for the theft of the truck is asked to call the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office crime tip line at 478-445-5102.

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