Arrests Made In Rash Of Vehicle Thefts
Two investigations, across multiple counties, have led to the arrest of four individuals suspected of a rash of thefts — specifically of motor vehicles and catalytic converters, according to the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office.
On Friday, Jan. 21, McDonald County detectives served a search warrant west of Anderson at a residence believed to be connected with the theft of two Chevrolet pickup trucks, a trailer, a welder and assorted power tools from a cattle farm north of Southwest City.
Upon arrival at the property, deputies and detectives located 38-yearold Brady Vance, 30-year-old Latasha
Watson and 41-yearold Shawn Stillions in and around two stolen vehicles, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The three were detained and it was found that one vehicle was reported stolen out of Newton County and the other was determined to be one of the trucks reported missing from outside Southwest City.
Subsequent investigation provided leads on where the other stolen truck might be and it was eventually located by Newton County detectives near Diamond.
Though the vehicles were located, Sheriff Rob Evenson notes that they were not returned in the same condition as when taken. He said the hay bed from one truck had been removed and welded onto another truck.
Sheriff Evenson estimates that the recovered items, including tools, ranged in value between $40,000 and $50,000.
Vance, Watson and Stillions were taken into custody and charged in connection with felony theft/stealing of a motor vehicle/ watercraft/aircraft.
At the time of publication, Vance and Stillions were being held in the McDonald County Jail without bond.
To date, three more stolen vehicles have been recovered by McDonald County deputies.
What do almost all of these vehicles have in common?
The keys were left inside the vehicles and the vehicles were unlocked.
“Never, ever leave your keys in your vehicle or leave your vehicle running unattended,” Evenson warned. “Just doing that would cut the stolen vehicle rate by 90% or more.”
Six days later, on Thursday, Jan. 27, through the joint effort of law enforcement officers across three counties, authorities were able to make a crack in the case of catalytic converters stolen from Wood Motor Company in Jane.
Deputies, detectives and police officers in McDonald, Newton and Jasper counties identified 39-yearold Destry Slaughter as a suspect in the catalytic convertor thefts at the lot.
He was located and taken into custody in Newton County before being transferred to the McDonald County Jail where he was charged in connection with felony theft/stealing.
Catalytic converters have been stolen at a high rate across the region over the past one to two years but, Sheriff Evenson says, many go unreported unless there is evidence of a suspect or a suspect vehicle. This is generally only a small percentage of the speedy thefts which can be completed with a simple tool, two cuts and a few minutes, according to Evanson.
“The big push lately has been to hit them hard when we catch them but also to go after the people buying them from the thieves,” Evenson said. “The general assembly passed a new law this past year trying to regulate the buying and selling of these things, but there’s not a lot of peril for the people doing it so I don’t know if it will help or not.”