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Two men have been arrested in connection with three burglaries at McGhee’s Automotive in the past five months and more arrests are expected soon.

Andrew Xavier Ousley, 18, of Troy, and a 17-year-old boy who was not identified due to his status as a minor were both arrested in connection to the burglaries.

Ousley was charged with three separate counts of third-degree burglary and two counts of first-degree theft of property.

The juvenile was charged with one count of burglary and Sheriff Russell Thomas said more charges are pending.

The first burglary occurred at the auto shop on Sept. 29, 2019.

“Two automobiles were taken during that burglary, a 2004 Oldsmobile Bravada and a 2007 GMC Yukon,” Thomas said. “The burglars also took a 55-inch flatscreen TV, two Apple computers still in the box, a Samsung Galaxy 8 phone and a box of keys to the other vehicles at the business. They also damaged three video cameras.”

The business is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 29 and County Road 1174. Thomas said deputies recovered one of the vehicles on the same day that the burglary was reported after someone reported the vehicle on their property. The other vehicle was found about a month after the burglary, abandoned on the Shellhorn Road. Both were found undamaged.

The theft of any motor vehicle is considered first-degree theft of property, a Class B Felony, regardless of value. Class B Felonies are punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.

The second burglary occurred on Nov. 28. Two checkbooks, a 50-inch TV and two Century lockboxes were taken during this burglary. Thomas said the checkbooks were recovered. Video showed the burglars pulling a vehicle through an opening in the fence and kicking in the back door.

The most recent burglary on Jan. 20 did not result in anything being stolen from the store, but it did provide deputies with the footage they needed to make an arrest.

“It goes to show, and we talk about it in neighborhood watch meetings. All the time, what you can accomplish with the help of citizens,” Thomas said. “You’re our eyes and our ears. We can achieve a lot with a lot of us working together. The people in this county once they saw the video passed the information on to us and Troy Police Department. Everyone worked together to bring all this to closure.”

Deshun McGhee, owner of the shop, said he is thankful to everyone involved in working the case.

“I’m really thankful for them working diligently to help find the burglars of my building,” McGhee said. “It was very frustrating to spend all your money and try to work hard to build something and then someone comes and takes it all away.”