PRESS RELEASE
Arrests made in Ag-Pro thefts
Three arrests have been made in reference to the AG-PRO (John Deere) theft which took place in Bainbridge on November 30th, 2017.
Around Noon today, January 24th, DEANDRE MARQUESE HALE, age 28, was arrested by the Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office and charged with “Fugitive From Justice.”
This afternoon, the U.S. Marshal’s Service arrested DARIUS DEMICHAEL PITTS, age 26, on a Felony Theft charge.
KENNETH KIEUNTREL JORDAN, age 27, was arrested in December on a Federal Firearms charge. Further charges are pending as the investigation continues.
An investigation was opened following a break-in and theft at AG-PRO in Bainbridge on November 30th, 2017. Bainbridge Public Safety Investigator Chip Nix watched video surveillance footage, identified numerous vehicles, and determined there were at least six subjects involved in the theft. On December 6th, the Dothan Police Department (Alabama) contacted Investigator Nix to make him aware that SunSouth (John Deere) in Dothan was a victim of theft on the evening of December 5th.
A large amount of lawn equipment, vehicles, and trailers were taken from the business.
Investigator Terry Nelson of the Dothan Police Department obtained video footage from City of Dothan traffic cameras which showed a white four-door passenger car, a truck matching the one stolen from SunSouth in Dothan, and two additional vehicles believed to be involved in both the Bainbridge AG-PRO theft and the Dothan SunSouth theft. In cooperation with the Opelika Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, the Dothan Police were able to discover persons of interest, and had leads to the possible location of some of the stolen equipment.
Investigator Nix and Investigator Larry Funderburke traveled to Opelika where they joined forces with members of the Opelika Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Department. Information led investigators to an abandoned metal shop property in Lee County (Opelika) where twelve zero-turn lawn mowers, three trailers, and a SunSouth service truck were
recovered.
Two vehicles were positively identified as those used in the Bainbridge AG-PRO theft, as well as in the Dothan SunSouth theft. The vehicles were a 2008 Chevrolet Crew Cab 3500 with a utility bed, and a white Dodge Dully with a flat bed. The Chevy truck was shown to be one of four vehicles stolen out of Crenshaw County, Alabama on November 6th.
Investigator Nix made contact with a resident living in close proximity to the abandoned metal shop where the equipment and vehicles were found. The resident showed Nix a surveillance video. The video showed a convoy of vehicles, including a white four-door passenger car and a dark gray Dodge four-door truck pulling a trailer with equipment, entering the neighborhood. Several individuals were also seen on the video footage.
Investigator Nix and Investigator Funderburke traveled to Montgomery and met with investigators from the Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office. Information related to the stolen vehicles and obtained from the videos led Investigators to identify DeAndre M. Hale of Berkley Drive, Kenneth K. Jordan of Cross Creek Drive, and Darius D. Pitts of Windwood Drive in Montgomery as persons of interest. Vehicles used in thefts in Bainbridge, Dothan, Opelika, and Montgomery are now linked to multiple individuals, and information is being used to identify all of the persons involved. Investigator Nix stated, “It’s like a domino effect, one bit of information leads us to a person of interest, and that person leads us to another. We are also linking these persons to multiple thefts. Through the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies, warrants will be issued as this investigation continues.”
ORIGINAL STORY (DECEMBER 1, 2017): Between 11pm on Wednesday, November 29th and 3:30am on Thursday, November 30th, AG-PRO Companies, located at 1931 Dothan Road, was the victim of a theft totaling approximately $85,000.
Video surveillance shows three vehicles travel south on Airport Road and approach AG-PRO:
1) A white passenger car, possibly a Chrysler 300
2) A white single-cab Dodge flatbed truck towing a utility trailer with fold-down ramps approximately 16 feet in length
3) A white extended-cab truck, possibly a Chevrolet 1500, with a service truck bed.
The white passenger car is shown approaching a fence on the east side of the property. A subject exits the car, and the car travels around to the front of the building. Throughout the video, it is shown driving back and forth in front of the building as if on “look-out.” A gate on the west side of the building is shown being forced opened, allowing the two white trucks to enter the fenced area. The trailer, towed by the single-cab truck, is disconnected. That trailer, as well as two AG-PRO trailers, are shown being loaded with zero-turn mowers and four-wheelers taken from the lot. The subject’s white single-cab flatbed truck is also loaded with stolen equipment. Two trailers are then attached to both of the subject’s trucks. The third trailer is attached to an AG-PRO crew cab truck, sitting on the lot. All three trucks are then driven through the gate, and onto Airport Road. The white passenger car joins the convoy, and they are last seen traveling west on Dothan Road. Stolen: 2009 Chevrolet 1500 4-door truck – White, with AG-PRO on each side door – Georgia plate #PHL7847 2015 Big-Tex 6’x14’ Utility Trailer – Black with wood deck 1997 Anderson 6’x10’ Utility Trailer – Black – Georgia plate #TL7MQ02 (3) John Deere JD825GE Green and Yellow 4-wheel “Gator” (3) John Deere JDZ930M Green and Yellow Zero-Turn Skid-Steer Lawn Mower
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