On Saturday evening, Walton County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Tourist Development Council who reported the theft of seven beach access signs put in place following the BCC’s decision to closed Walton County Beaches.

The suspect, a 17-year-old from South Walton High School, used SnapChat to post a picture of the stolen signs in the back of his car. Deputies responded to his house to speak with the suspect who admitted to taking four of the signs and gave them back to the deputies. The suspect denied stealing the other three.

In a press release the WCSO wrote,

“All of us at WCSO know it’s frustrating not to be able to go to the beach. We love the beach too. This is our home.We know there were a great deal of people who were for closing the beach to better protect the residents of Walton County. Now that it’s closed, it’s time to hold each other accountable. It’s time to have some personal responsibility. We can only beat this thing if we work together. Our time is best spent serving those in need with real emergencies. Not looking for stolen signs or scrolling through bad Snapchats. Help us reduce the threat of COVID-19 and abide by the County Ordinances and Executive Orders that are in place.”