DOBSON — The Surry County Sheriff’s Office has arrested five men and three juveniles in connection with a string of break-ins that span more than a year.

According to Sheriff Graham Atkinson, the eight individuals were arrested around three weeks ago, but information was not released until more warrants were served. Detective Rita Nichols said the suspects were arrested at different times, and there are unserved warrants on several of the men still.

Those charged, excluding the juveniles whose names cannot be released, were:

n Matthew Ryan Owens, 18, of 132 Campground Lane, Pilot Mountain, charged with 33 counts of felony breaking and entering, four counts of felony larceny of a motor vehicle (ATVs and a car), felony larceny of a handgun, 12 counts of felony larceny and 21 counts of misdemeanor larceny. According to Nichols, Owens is out on bonds totaling $12,000 secured, $5,000 secured, and $20,000 unsecured.

n Shevy Allan Kettle, 19, of 205 Preston Lane, Mount Airy, charged with 23 counts of felony breaking and entering, two counts of felony larceny of a firearm, 14 counts of felony larceny and 14 counts of misdemeanor larceny. Kettle is out on a $1,500 unsecured bond.

n William Elijah Houston Bowman, 16, of 132 Campground Lane, charged with 10 counts of felony breaking and entering, six counts of misdemeanor larceny, three counts of felony larceny, two counts of felony larceny of a firearm and possession of stolen property. Bowman is out on an unsecured bond.

n Roger Kevin Collins, 40, of 132 Campground Lane, charged with felony breaking and entering and felony larceny. Collins is still detained in the Surry County Detention Center under a $5,000 secured bond.

n Clinton Eugene Barron, 25, of 132 Campground Lane, charged with felony breaking and entering and felony larceny. Barron is out on a $5,000 secured bond.

Sylvia Wright, also residing at the Pilot Mountain Family Campground, was arrested on charges of resisting a public officer. She is not connected with the break-ins at this time.

Atkinson said detectives on Monday obtained more than 100 warrants against three of the individuals. He said warrants have been “piling up” even after the men were arrested.

The charges came about as part of a year-long investigation.

Atkinson said in a press release, “These charges, along with some earlier charges, clear 48 break-ins that date back to October of 2008. The suspects were going out and entering unlocked cars and homes and taking whatever they could find to sell or trade for drugs.”

The sheriff’s office received several reports that break-ins were linked to “kids in the campground,” but a credible link was just recently established.

“Officers have been in the Pilot Mountain Family Campground at all hours recently talking to people and trying to identify suspects,” said Atkinson in the release. “They’ve practically lived there, and it paid off.”

Four of the men charged live at 132 Campground Lane, the Pilot Mountain Family Campground. Their alleged break-ins took place throughout the county: Pilot Power Dam, N.C. 268 near Pilot Mountain and Dobson, Westfield Road, Old Hollow Road, Cook School Road, Old U.S. 52 near Pilot Mountain, Whitaker Chapel Road, Dodson Mill Road and Ararat Road.

“Everything they broke into was unlocked,” Atkinson explained in the release. “There was no damage to any of the property. They simply took whatever they found inside, from sunglasses to laptops. They also stole three ATVs that were parked with easy access and took a Honda Accord that had the keys in it. They junked the Honda for parts.”

The sheriff said very little of the property, which totaled thousands of dollars, has been recovered.

Additional warrants are still to be served on several of the eight individuals.