FAIRHOPE, Alabama—Two Foley residents have been arrested by Fairhope police as suspects in a string of Baldwin County burglaries.

Ashley Lewis, 22, and Joseph Howe, 28, both of Foley, were arrested last Friday in connection with upwards of 50 burglaries or attempted burglaries throughout the county, according to a Fairhope Police Department news release today.

Lewis and Howe have been charged with receiving stolen property and additional charges and further arrests are expected, according to police.

Over the past two months, approximately 50 or more actual or attempted residential burglaries have occurred throughout the county. In many of those cases, the suspects were seen driving a white van with a unique Alabama license plate, the release stated.

On Oct. 21, at approximately 12:20 p.m., FPD Detective Charles Varnado, assisted by Sgt. Craig Sawyer, Detective Shane Nolte and Officer Ron Wells, acting on a tip from a community watch group, located and stopped a vehicle as it was exiting the Quail Creek subdivision in Fairhope, to investigate possible connections to the rash of burglaries.

Howe and Smith were arrested during that traffic stop, according to the FPD.

Other FPD investigators, including Detective Sgt. Jimmy Davis, Detective Cpl. Shane Nolte, Detective Stephanie Hollinghead, Detective Heidi Loftis, Detective Fred King, and Reserve Police Officer Alan Bishop began following-up on leads developed after the arrest.

From the suspects’ residence in Foley, officers seized equipment for printing counterfeit currency, several sheets of recently printed counterfeit 20-dollar bills, and stolen property, including jewelry, designer purses, consumer electronics, a firearm, clothing, and other items.

Fairhope police are in the process of working with other law enforcement agencies to identify the numerous victims and begin the process of returning the stolen property to the rightful owners.

The incidents are being investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Fairhope, Daphne, Robertsdale, Foley, Loxley, Summerdale and Silverhill.

Further information will be released as it develops, according to the FPD.