Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest of Westminster Man after Deputy Hears Gun Shots

An 18-year-old Westminster man, Anton Joseph Bertich, was arrested by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday morning after gunshots were heard in the Utica Mill Hill area. Bertich was charged with multiple offenses, including Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Unlawful Carrying of a Pistol, and Assaulting a Police Officer while Resisting Arrest.

During a routine patrol in the area, the deputy began an investigation after hearing gunshots and observed a silver Nissan Sentra driving fast from Hoyt Street onto Hope Avenue. The vehicle was located at an address on Padgett Street, and the driver, identified as Bertich, was found with a liquor bottle and a spent shell casing inside the car. A search of the vehicle produced a quantity of Methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm handgun that had a scratched off serial number and was spray painted.

Bertich was placed under arrest and became combative, kicking a deputy in the head. A female passenger in the vehicle was released from the scene.

According to arrest warrants, Bertich had fired a firearm multiple times from the vehicle on the Utica Mill Hill. He was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center and released on a surety bond of $101,087.50 after a bond hearing.