Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon teen charged as adult in burglaries

A Gurdon teen is facing nearly a dozen felony charges related to burglaries at several area deer camps in August.

Shawn McDaniel, 17, of 3868 Central Road, was charged last week with 10 counts of residential burglary and one count of theft of property, according to records on file at the Clark County Circuit Clerks office. All of the charges are felonies, and McDaniel has been charged as an adult.

According to an affidavit filed by investigators from the Clark County Sheriffs Department, a burglary was reported at a river house on Maddox Branch Trail on Aug. 17. At the house, a Smith and Wesson 357 revolver was found to be missing as were three bottles of Crown Royal liquor and gas from a five gallon can.

The next day, investigators were called to a reported burglary at a deer camp on Open Banks Road. The owner reported that nothing was missing, but the camp had been rummaged through.

On Aug. 22, six mobile homes that make up the Hasley Deer Camp were reported to have been burglarized. From the camp, a set of bolt cutters, binoculars, turkey calls, coveralls, a canine medical kit and a Gerber brand knife were reported stolen.

On Aug. 24, the owners of the Auld Deer Camp reported that the camp had been burglarized and that waders, duck calls and shot gun shells had been taken. It also appeared as if the burglars had partaken of food and drink while in the camp.

On Aug. 27, a property owner on Open Banks Road reported to the sheriffs department that he had found two boys riding four wheelers on his property. He said he stopped them and told them that they were trespassing. Court records indicate that the boys told the man they were from Curtis.

After months of investigation, the investigators spoke with a juvenile in Gurdon on Dec. 4 who said he and McDaniel gone to the Open Banks Road area to find property on which to hog hunt, the court records indicate. The boys reportedly had permission to hunt on a piece of property in the area and were trying to locate it. While riding around, the juvenile said they came upon a deer camp. He told investigators that while he took the gas for the four wheelers, McDaniel went into the camp and returned with the 357 revolver and the Crown Royal.

Court records indicate that the juvenile also admitted to police that he and McDaniel had gone to the other camps as well. He even admitted to eating and drinking at the Auld camp.

The boys were joined by a third juvenile during part of the alleged burglaries as well, the affidavit states.

The juvenile interrogated by police reportedly said all three boys took items from the Hasley camp.

McDaniel is accused of selling the revolver for $50 to $75. Deputies were able to retrieve the gun.

The third juvenile is reported to have confirmed the story given to investigators by the first with only minor alterations.

McDaniel was bonded out of the Clark County Jail by a bail bondsman on a $25,000 bond on Dec. 7.