On the night of Oct. 7, three Rockwell neighborhoods experienced a rash of vehicle break-ins. The suspect in the case, Luther Sterling Blakeley, 33, was taken into custody by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Nov. 23.

The Sheriff’s Office reported that over the night of Oct. 7, 16 vehicles were broken into at the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Oak Grove Lane, the 200 block of Graceland Place, and the 400 block of Adrian Road in Rockwell. Victims reported that valuables left in the cars were taken, including two firearms.

Blakeley was identified as a suspect, and according to the report, had in his possession a Smith and Wesson Body Guard .380 caliber pistol and a .45 caliber pistol of unknown make. The guns were identified as the ones that Michael Shirley, one of the victims, reported taken from his vehicle the night of Oct. 7.

Blakeley was charged with 16 counts of felonious vehicle breaking and entering, one count of larceny, two counts of larceny of a firearm, and one count of weapons possession by a convicted felon. He was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $10,000 bond.

Blakeley was previously charged in Stokes County with breaking and entering vehicles, larceny, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and wanton injury to personal property. He was previously charged in Forsyth County with larceny, obtaining property by false pretense, breaking and entering vehicles, drug use or possession, receiving a stolen vehicle and habitual felony.