By Greg Coy

    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) -- Three Savannah men are now facing felony charges connected to a February smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store in Vidalia—and law enforcement says the suspects may be linked to additional crimes across South Carolina’s Lowcountry.

Vidalia Police announced charges against Terrell Walker, his brother Lawrence Walker, and Jeffery Haynes in connection with the February 5th robbery at Kay Jewelers. Their arrests come as investigators in other communities work to solve several unsolved jewelry store break-ins, where suspects have yet to be publicly identified.

One of the most well-known recent cases happened in November 2024, at the Belk department store in Savannah. The sound of hammers smashing glass display cases sent frightened shoppers fleeing the store.

“Folks started running out of the store because they thought it was a gunshot,” said Savannah Police Detective Odell Thomas. “You can see in the camera footage, folks running away.”

Surveillance images from the Belk robbery show masked suspects using hammers to smash display cases and stealing 11 Rolex watches worth $141,000. The suspects fled in a waiting getaway car. They have not been publicly identified or caught.

“I don’t have enough proof to put a warrant together,” said Detective Thomas. “We’ve got threads of evidence.”

Just four days later, another smash-and-grab happened at the Zales Jewelry store at Tanger Outlets in Pooler. Detective Thomas, who responded to the scene along with Pooler Police, said investigators noted a similarity between the two cases.

“He actually dropped the jewelry, went to pick it up, and accidentally dropped the hammer,” said Thomas.

A hammer was also used in the Belk case, though police can’t confirm whether it was the same one.

According to a police report obtained by WJCL 22 Investigates, more than $100,000 in jewelry was stolen in the Pooler robbery.

Pooler Police identified Terrell Walker as one of the suspects. He had previously been convicted in a 2019 smash-and-grab at Savannah’s Oglethorpe Mall. Walker served five years in state prison and was released on Halloween 2024—just weeks before the Belk and Pooler robberies.

Walker was arrested and charged in connection with the Pooler incident in January. Court records show he was released on bond just days later.

Less than a month after his release, three suspects struck again—this time at Kay Jewelers in Vidalia. According to police, $20,000 worth of Cuban men’s gold rings, necklaces, and bracelets were stolen. The suspects fled the scene, but surveillance cameras captured crucial evidence.

“Check the security cameras around there,” said Vidalia Police Sgt. James Clubb. “We got a couple of potential suspect vehicles. And from there, everything just sort of started falling in place.”

Eight days after the Vidalia robbery, police in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, arrested Terrell Walker and Jeffery Haynes during a traffic stop. Their vehicle had a nationwide law enforcement alert.

Police later charged both men, along with Lawrence Walker, in the Vidalia case. Vidalia investigators say the evidence is strong and that other agencies have reached out regarding similar cases.

“We’re working with other agencies handling similar crimes. That’s about as much as I can say on that,” said Sgt. Clubb.

Some of the stolen merchandise from the Vidalia and Pooler robberies has been recovered. However, the Rolex watches stolen from Belk remain missing.

Scott Guginsky, executive vice president of the Jewelry Security Alliance, says the stolen watches could be in the hands of unethical jewelers, entertainers, or still hidden.

“It’s in a storage shed, it’s in a locker, it’s under somebody’s bed—it hasn’t been sold yet,” said Guginsky.

As for the Belk case, Savannah Police are calling on the public to help bring those responsible to justice.

“We just need somebody with courage who can say, ‘Hey, I have knowledge of it. I bought a watch. I know what these watches are, I know what they’re being sold for,” said Detective Thomas.

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