FERNDALE, Mich. (WWJ) -- Four men, including two teenagers, have been arrested in connection with a string of thefts from vehicles and numerous stolen vehicles in Ferndale and other metro Detroit locations.
Ferndale police say they recorded an "extraordinarily high" number of thefts from unlocked cars and a number of stolen vehicles throughout the month of September, all of which appeared to be linked to the same group of people. A lengthy investigation culminated with the arrest of four suspects who authorities say are suspected of committing hundreds of other similar crimes.
Carlos Byars-Walker, of Detroit, was arrested on Sept. 19 in the 20000 block of Russell Street by Ferndale detectives and turned over to ACTION Auto Theft Task Force investigators. A week later, the other three suspects -- 17-year-old Wellington Littles of Pontiac, 21-year-old Corey Rashada of Highland Park and 17-year-old Kiron Walker-McNeil -- were arrested on Sept. 25 at the Oakland Mall in Troy. All three of the suspects arrested at the Oakland Mall were in possession of a different stolen vehicle at the time of their arrests, police said.
Police say they utilized numerous investigative and patrol techniques to identify the suspects, while distributing fliers to homes in Ferndale and engaging in a social media campaign urging the community to lock car doors and ensure key fobs weren't left in vehicles.
Authorities say the suspects would walk in different Ferndale neighborhoods on an almost nightly basis, checking for unlocked cars. Their intent was to steal anything of value, including change, cell phones, credit and debit cards, and even vehicles on several occasions, according to a press release from Ferndale police.
On an almost daily basis, police say one or more of the suspects visited the same location in Detroit to use a machine that turns loose coins into cash.
The four suspects are suspected to be responsible for at least 65 of the 145 reported thefts from vehicles in Ferndale this year and at least three stolen vehicles.
Through interviews with the suspects, police estimate they are responsible for at least 40 more unreported thefts from vehicles in Ferndale alone and hundreds more larcenies from unlocked cars in the metro Detroit area. Police say the four men are suspected to be tied to numerous recovered stolen vehicles, totaling in excess of $400,000. Authorities believe the men are associated with recent similar crimes in Detroit, Farmington City, Grosse Pointe Park, Hazel Park, Oak Park, Warren, and as far away as Lansing.
Ferndale police detectives recovered 11 stolen vehicles out of various jurisdictions attributed to these suspects during the course of this investigation.
Rashada is charged with three counts of receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle – 3, one count of unlawful driving away of an automobile (in Ferndale) and two counts of possession of a stolen financial transaction device.
Walker McNeil is facing two counts of receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle, while Byars-Walker and Littles are each facing one count of receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle.
Police say additional charges against the suspects are expected in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb Counties as jurisdictions complete their own investigations. Each jurisdiction involved is seeking arrest warrants for the crimes committed in their areas, with the Oakland County Curtail Auto Theft (CAT) unit handling several of the cases with an Oakland County nexus.
