Police nab one in kayak theft

ALBANY — Police are still searching for two kayaks that were stolen from John Pace, 20, and his friends while they were at the Georgia Power Dam boat dock July 14.

Capt. Jimmy Sexton of the Dougherty County Police Department said Monday investigators are looking for a white pick-up truck that was captured on Georgia Power’s surveillance video during the time of the theft.

The video shows the white truck leaving the area with a blue kayak in the back that matches the description of one of Pace’s stolen kayaks, a blue Perception Koho.

“We are looking for that truck,” said Sexton during an interview with The Herald Monday. “The images from the surveillance video is grainy, but if someone knows anything about this incident they can contact us.”

Sexton said authorities were able to recover one of the stolen kayaks at the scene and made one arrest, but the other two kayaks are missing.

According to police reports sent to The Herald, Pace and a group of friends arrived at the Georgia Power dam boat dock about 2:55 p.m. July 14 and placed three kayaks behind the guardrail that is located at the boat dock. The group then left to get supplies and returned less than 30 minutes later to find the kayaks missing.

Pace spotted one of the kayaks, a white Mirage Outback Hobicat kayak that belonged to his friend, in the back of black 2005 Ford F-250 that was being driven by James Hankins, 33, and George Walls, 36.

According to Pace, when confronted about the stolen kayak, Walls told the group that he found the kayak behind the guardrails in the woods and was transporting the kayak to the Georgia Power office so that it would not get stolen.

Hankins and Walls gave the white kayak back to the owner, but returned when authorities were on the scene.

Authorities arrested Walls and charged him will theft by taking. Walls was transported to the Dougherty County Jail.