Father and Son Wanted for Armed Robbery Found Hiding in Woods

IRWINTON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The father and son wanted for armed robbery and home invasion are also facing charges in Wilkinson County.

Joseph Walter (pictured top) and Joseph Lee Pagan (pictured bottom) were arrested on Friday in connection with recent string of burglaries off Highway 112 in Wilkinson County. Investigator Thomas Taylor tells 41NBC the sheriff’s office started getting calls about the burglaries on February 1st.

Taylor says the suspects burglarized four different places along the highway, including several hunting camps and the Gibraltar Mines. The suspects stole survival gear like food, clothing, guns, and ammunition. Taylor says at the time, the sheriff’s office did not suspect the Pagans.

The sheriff’s office received an anonymous tip on Friday that led law enforcement to a wooded area near the Gibraltar Mines. The Pagans were hiding at the bottom of a ravine.

“We were able to put our canines on the ground and the canines led us into the makeshift campsite where they were located and we were able to arrest them without incident,” Taylor said.

Several law enforcement agencies worked the investigation, including the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, and the U.S. Marshals.

The Pagans were on the run for almost a month. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office was looking for them as suspects in an armed robbery and home invasion investigation from January 22.

Both men are being held at the Wilkinson County jail. They are charged with six counts of felony burglary.

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office is also charging the father and son with armed robbery, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment.