Dealership: Test-drive thief qualifies for ‘World's Dumbest Criminals'

By Marcus K. Garner

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A used car salesman placed a would-be car thief among  the "world's dumbest criminals" for stealing a test-drive car after leaving his ID at the dealership.

What began as a test drive Friday at a Morrow car dealership turned into a high-speed chase that ended in southwest Atlanta, police said.

But the salesman riding with him had a copy of the thief's driver's license.

"It's just like any other criminal," said the salesman's boss, Leon Terry, sales manager at Nissan South. "They're not the smartest. That's why they're criminals."

Now police are looking for Anthony Detwon Smith, who allegedly drove off with the 2008 Dodge Chargerr he was test-driving.

A salesman was in the car when Smith drove off the lot. When the salesman got out of the car to get gas near Southlake Mall, Smith drove away, Morrow police spokesman Capt. James Callaway said.

The salesman immediately reported the stolen car to police, and an officer spotted Smith getting onto I-75 North at Ga. Highway 54, police said. Smith refused to stop when hailed by the officer, and the officer gave chase, at times speeding more than 100 mph in pursuit of the stolen car, Callaway said.

Smith exited I-75 at Old Dixie Road and drove to the corner of Forest Park Road and McWilliams Road in Atlanta, where he ran up onto a curb, got out of the car and fled on foot, police said.

"There wasn't any body damage, and the salesman wasn't hurt," Terry said. "We'll replace the rim and the tire."

But Smith left an unmistakable calling card -- a faux pas that likely could lead to his capture.

Smith left an imprint of his drivers license at the dealership, and police have described him as a 6-foot-2-inch, 27-year-old black man. He was already wanted by East Point police for failing to appear in court, Callaway said.

"We require all of our sales people to make copies," Terry said. "The salesman had the copy in his back pocket."

He was able to easily give police the car thief's description, Terry said.

"I guess this would be a segment on ‘World's Dumbest Criminals,'" he said.

Anyone with information on Smith's whereabouts is asked to call the Morrow Police Department at 770-961-4006.