Decatur County Sheriff’s deputies caught a suspect while investigating vehicle break-ins off Georgia 97 South on Tuesday morning, according to Capt. Chip Nix.

Jamie Claypoole, 21, of 146 Dodson Drive, Bainbridge, is charged with five counts of entering an auto and obstruction of an officer, according to the Decatur County Jail.

Early Monday morning, deputies received a report that someone had stolen the batteries out of several dump trucks and work trucks belonging to Circle B Contractors off Rich Road, Capt. Nix said.

Capt. Greg McMilan, Crime Scene Investigator Gale Bowyer and Deputy Ken Davis responded to the scene. They followed footprints from Circle B to a residence on Rich Lane, located about six-tenths of a mile west of the business.

On Rich Lane, the deputies encountered Claypoole, who took off running, Nix said. Deputies lost Claypoole in nearby woods, but Bainbridge Public Safety officers and the Georgia State Patrol were called into assist.

A while later, the searchers took Claypoole into custody without incident.

According to Nix, Public Safety officers responded Monday to a report of city government vehicles being broken into off Avenue C, which is about 1.7 miles north off Rich Road. Nix said Monday afternoon he wasn’t yet sure if the two cases were related, pending further investigation by BPS.

Claypoole, who had been out on bond on a prior, unrelated offense, according to Nix, is now being held at the Decatur County Jail.