THIEVES TARGET GOLF CART BATTERIES

Police say that thieves have a new target — the batteries from golf carts are being stolen all across the Upstate.

At Ware Shoals Golf Course, 24 batteries were stolen after thieves broke in through a chain link fence, police said. The batteries cost more than $100 each.

The batteries were later recovered from a scrap yard in Gray Court. Police said the father and son team who had stolen them, Stephen and James Brown, had spray-painted the batteries to make them look older. Investigators said that Stephen and James Brown hot-wired a golf cart to use during the theft. They loaded up the batteries from other carts, and drove them to their truck, that was hidden nearby.

Ware Shoals police detective Bryan Louis said the scrap yard only paid the Browns a small portion of the actual value for the batteries.

"They received $396 for about an hour's worth of work," Louis said.

Kevin McKee found the batteries missing when he showed up for work last Friday morning. But he said even though they have been recovered, he doesn't know if they're usable. "There's no telling what they did with the batteries," McKee said.

Police say that batteries have been stolen from golf courses in Anderson and Abbeville counties as well. In December, 180 batteries were stolen from 30 golf carts at Pine Lakes Golf Course near Anderson.

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Reprinted from www.wyff4.com, March 29, 2008