Dale County authorities have arrested two males in connection with a series of vehicle break-ins in four distinct Ozark areas over the weekend.
Early Sunday morning, police say, Kiyon Vaughn, 24, of Phenix City, entered the town and began breaking into automobiles and grabbing what he could from approximately 20 open vehicles in four distinct Ozark areas near D. A. Smith Middle School.
“Several firearms, medications, identifying documents, and credit cards were taken from the aforementioned vehicles,” Sen. Sgt. Justin Chadwick, Commander of Investigations for the Ozark Police Department, stated.
Officers claim to have identified Vaughn as a suspect using surveillance video.
Later on Sunday, officers say Vaughn and his friend Ravaughn Turner, 25, of Phenix City, traveled to Walmart off U.S. Highway 231 and attempted to use the stolen credit cards there.
Officers later apprehended Vaughn and Turner, who were allegedly uncooperative throughout the arrest.
Officers were able to recover the stolen items.
“We got approval to search the residence and subsequently located all of the property that was stolen,” the senator stated. Turner faces four counts of illegal possession/use of a credit/debit card.
Vaughn is accused of breaking into twelve automobiles, but further charges may be filed as victims come forward in the investigation.
He is also facing three counts of theft third, theft of property third, theft of property second, possession of a controlled narcotic, and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Tuner and Vaughn are being held in Dale County Jail with no bond set in their case. According to Sen. Sgt. Chadwick, there has been an increase in vehicle break-ins in recent months, but nothing like what happened on Sunday.
“We haven’t seen such a high volume of vehicle break-ins in recent months. “We get a few here and there, but nothing on this scale,” Sen. Sgt. Chadwick said.
The Ozark Police Department continues to investigate the crime as they hunt for additional victims.
Sr. Sgt. Chadwick requests that individuals lock their vehicles’ doors to potentially prevent this crime of opportunity.