Pair who broke into hundreds of firefighters’ cars headed to prison

MARIETTA — A pair of Lawrenceville residents are heading to prison after pleading guilty to a string of hundreds of vehicle break-ins and thefts across 17 counties last year, many of which targeted fire stations, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s office.

Ayana Dayshina Forest, 22, and Elisha Howard Ross, 26, have each pleaded guilty to two counts of racketeering and 46 counts of entering auto for the robberies, which took place between January and June 2017, according to Kim Isaza, spokeswoman for the Cobb DA’s office.

According to investigators, the pair worked at night and mostly targeted the personal vehicles of firefighters parked at fire stations. Forest would drive the pair to a fire station, drop Ross off nearby and circle back a few minutes later to pick him up, Isaza said.

Ross would usually get into the cars by breaking a window. The pair used cellphones to communicate during the break-ins, Isaza said.

The pair hit 52 fire stations, an ambulance service, the headquarters of Glock Inc. in Smyrna and several cars parked at homes near a fire station in Acworth, Isaza said. In all, the pair broke into more than 200 vehicles in metro Atlanta in six months.

Among the items the pair stole were 59 firearms, most of which were then sold on the street, Isaza said. Two of the stolen guns were in the pair’s possession, Isaza said, while another was found at the scene of a shooting in DeKalb County. Cash, headphones, laptops and other valuables were also stolen.

Ross negotiated a plea deal to all charges on Jan. 23, Isaza said, and on the same day, Cobb Superior Court Judge Kimberly Childs sentenced him to 20 years, with 10 to serve in prison and the rest on probation. He was also ordered to pay $8,920 in restitution.

Forest entered her negotiated plea on Wednesday, after which Childs sentenced her to 15 years with seven to serve in prison and the rest on probation. She was also ordered to pay $8,920 in restitution.