SAVANNAH, GA (August 31, 2011): Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police started finding stolen automobiles almost as soon as they were reported missing after the theft of 14 vehicles from Vaden Nissan Used Cars on Tuesday.
So far five vehicles have been recovered, including one that was wrecked, prompting a manhunt in the area around Oglethorpe Mall.
Arrested were Antwan Jamelle Drayton, 28, and his brother Brandon Maurice Williams, 17, who were arrested walking behind the mall, and Kenneth Garrard Allen, 18, who was chased down on foot after he ran into a quintet of canine officers on a training class. All have been charged with theft by receiving stolen property.
Police were called to the dealership about 8:40 a.m. Tuesday for a burglary report and employees then discovered that many keys were missing from the key board and a total of14 vehicles were stolen. Two of the vehicles almost immediately were recovered parked at Brookside Apartments at 111 Edgewater Road.
A Forensics officer processing the two recovered vehicles saw a third stolen vehicle run the stop sign on Montgomery Cross Roads, striking another vehicle. The three occupants exited the car and started running. Police saturated the area and found Drayton and Williams on the back of Oglethorpe Mall. Williams ran to Chippewa Drive near where four SCMPD canine teams were training with a team from Brunswick. Two canine teams chased him over a fence where he found another canine team waiting and surrendered.
Two other vehicles were recovered that afternoon in the 200 block of Travis Road and at the Red Lion Apartments on Waters Avenue. The latter vehicle was covered with a silver tarp and bearing one of five license plates reported stolen at the same time from Enterprise Auto Rental in the 7500 block of White Bluff Road.
Southside Precinct detectives are continuing to investigate the thefts and trying to determine other participants and the location of the other vehicles.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). In the body type, include “CStop2020” plus the tip. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
CRN 110830051
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