Two Burke County men were arrested after two reported armed robberies at homes in Connelly Springs early Thursday morning.
Kistler
Ethan Trae Kistler, 26, of Hildebran, and Kevin Blaine Jenkins, 24, of Connelly Springs, are each charged with two counts of felony robbery with a dangerous weapon, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Jenkins
Shortly before 3 a.m., Burke County deputies were called to a residence on Andria Lane in Connelly Springs for a reported robbery. The victim told the deputies he was confronted by two armed men. The man said the assailants assaulted him before stealing items from his truck and the residence, the sheriff’s office said.
A short time later, a second similar crime was reported by a person walking on St. John’s Church Avenue in Connelly Springs, the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation led to a residence on Prysock Avenue in Connelly Springs. Both suspects were located inside the home, the sheriff’s office said.
One person, identified as Kistler, complied with deputies’ commands and exited the residence. The second person, identified as Jenkins, did not. The Burke County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team was called to assist. The SWAT team entered the residence and took Jenkins into custody, the sheriff’s office said.
Both men were taken into custody and transported to the Burke County Magistrate’s Office.
Kistler was placed under a $75,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. Jenkins was transported to a hospital for evaluation and had not been formally served with his charges as of Thursday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said.
Kistler and Jenkins are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sarah Johnson is a digital news reporter for the ¶®É«µÛ News Herald.