Vehicles stolen in W MI part of ‘prolific auto theft ring’
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Attorney General’s office announced this week that there was a “prolific auto theft ring” bust where six men were arrested on the east side of the state, and some of the vehicles were stolen from West Michigan.
Police say the alleged criminal group stole more than 400 vehicles worth upwards of $8 million across several Michigan counties.
A spokesperson with the AG’s office told News 8 that some of those stolen vehicles came from the Grandville area. Kent County has seen an uptick in car theft over the past four years, according to Prosecutor Chris Becker.
“Anybody who looks around is seeing a lot more vehicle thefts,” he said. “In general it seems to be juveniles, kids underage that are engaged in this behavior via we’re seeing this stuff online like the KIA boys, whatever it may be. It started in COVID where they were stealing from dealerships and now it’s kind of evolved that they’re breaking into cars in neighborhoods.”
Theft of more than 400 vehicles in Michigan leads to the arrest of 6 men
The six men arrested in the latest bust were charged with conducting a criminal enterprise and the use of a computer to commit a crime, both are 20-year felonies.
“Where we really move into getting the serious charges are the CCE. The continuing criminal enterprise… but then you need a group,” Becker said. “You need an organization. You need a bunch of individuals coming together to engage in car thefts.”
Grand Rapids Police Department’s latest crime mapping data shows they have responded to 323 vehicle theft calls since the start of the year.
“Simply stealing a car, people are usually surprised, even in the adult court you’re probably looking at probation unless you’ve engaged in a bunch of them,” Becker said.
Graduates of the inaugural Grand Rapids Alternative Correctional Experience (GRACE) program have shown progress in redirecting local youth towards a productive life and away from crime. The initiative was launched earlier this year by Pilgrim Rest Pastor Darryl Gaddy amid the uptick in juvenile crime.
“We’re doing everything we can to stop that, we’ve got a new program working with Pastor Getty the Grace Program, which is trying to divert them and some of those kids who are in the program were involved in receiving and concealing motor vehicles, unlawful driving away,” Becker said. “So we’re doing everything we can to try to combat that and get them to understand that they can’t be doing this.”
Additionally, the Combined Auto Theft Team or CATT monitors and investigates car theft crimes in Kent County with the help of Kentwood, Grand Rapids, Wyoming police departments and the Kent County Sheriff’s Office.
“They’re doing a lot, but they are getting frustrated,” he said. “Because so many of these car thefts are involving juveniles, they’re saying (and asking) why they’re not getting lodged. They’re getting it out and doing it again.”
Michigan State Police is working with its fugitive team to locate and arrest two additional suspects connected to this week’s arrest. All of these suspects are adults.
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