Two deputies arrived at a home that was being broken into in less than six minutes — quick enough to catch two suspects in the garage in the act of stealing, said Chief Coy Reid of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.
The first deputy to arrive at the house at 4083 Hoke St. in Claremont was Derrick Pfaff. When he got there at about 2 a.m. Thursday, he saw a car leave the scene abruptly and followed it to pull the driver over. Deputy Eric Kanipe arrived shortly after and saw that the home's garage door was open, Reid said.
He entered the garage and saw two men inside. Kanipe said, "Hey, what are you doing?" and one of the men bolted. He ran into the house and out the front door into the yard where Kanipe tackled him, Reid said.
During the chase, Kanipe called for assistance on his radio and a Claremont officer responded to the scene. Pfaff returned as well.
The Claremont officer held the suspect as Kanipe and Pfaff searched the nearby woods for the second man.
They found him in a creek.
Kanipe found jewelry from the homeowner's safe in one of the suspect's pockets and both men were arrested, Reid said.
Joseph Levada Tolley, 31, of Claremont and his brother, Clinton Daniel Tolley, 28, of Newton were taken into custody and charged with breaking and entering and larceny, breaking and entering a motor vehicle, possession of stolen goods, safecracking, injury to personal property and resisting an officer.
The suspects are being held in the Catawba County jail on $25,000 secured bond. Their first court appearance is scheduled for Friday.
Reid said the suspects caused quite a bit of damage to the home as they ransacked it. The damage included broken garage windows and holes knocked in the drywall, according to reports.
They had also broken into the homeowner's 1989 Corvette and rifled through the glove box.
"We do suspect them for other crimes in that area," Reid said.
The investigation is ongoing and further arrests are possible, Reid said.
"We do know there was a driver," he said.
The 52-year-old homeowner was away and his house empty when it was broken into, Reid said.
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