By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Two 14-year-olds charged in convenience store burglary
Two others charged in unrelated burglary of storage units
1117BURGLARIESRonnie Lane Martin
Ronnie Lane Martin, 30, of Gainesville

The Hall County Sheriff's Office has arrested four people, including two 14-year-olds, in two unrelated weekend burglaries.

The teens, whose names weren't released, broke the front door of the Petrofast convenience store at Price and Sardis roads in North Hall and stole alcoholic beverages, said Col. Jeff Strickland, sheriff's office spokesman.

The burglary took place at 3 a.m. Saturday.

An off-duty deputy heard the alarm and saw a vehicle leaving the store. The deputy provided responding deputies with a vehicle description and which way it was traveling.

The responding deputies spotted and stopped the vehicle near Price Road at Thompson Bridge Road. One of the 14-year-olds was driving the car, Strickland said.

The burglary was captured on store surveillance video, which helped investigators confirm the identity of the two suspects, Strickland said.

In the other incident, the sheriff's office has arrested Robert Mitchell Abernathy Jr., 25, and Ronnie Lane Martin, 30, both of Gainesville.

They are accused of breaking into Lanier Mini Storage in the 2400 block of Dawsonville Highway, Strickland said.

Deputies went to the business at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, responding to a burglary that was reported to have occurred sometime over the weekend.

Investigators were able to establish leads as to the possible location of items stolen from one of the storage units.

They found the items underneath a mobile home on Vaughndale Circle. The items included clothing and tools, with a value of more than $2,500, Strickland said.

Abernathy and Martin each were charged with one count of burglary and criminal damage to property and are in the Hall County jail.

Both incidents remain under investigation.