A Decatur man was arrested in Cherokee County early Monday morning after he was accused of looking for vehicles to break into while in a stolen car.
Deante Martin, 24, was tied to crimes in Cherokee, DeKalb and Henry counties after his arrest, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He’s accused of looking for unlocked vehicles about 3 a.m. along with an accomplice, who is still on the loose.
The incident began when a deputy who was on patrol near Knotts Landing Drive and Ga. 92 spotted a green Hyundai that was parked in the middle of the road, the release said. The deputy also spotted a white Toyota sedan that was parked near a nearby neighborhood pool.
As the deputy drove closer to investigate, he noticed that there was “fresh damage” to the rear of the Hyundai, the release said. That’s vehicle’s driver then sped off, running a stop sign in the process.
The deputy lost sight of the Hyundai but was able to give a description to dispatchers. Minutes later, Woodstock police spotted the vehicle nearby, and the Hyundai’s driver abandoned the car and tried to run away on foot near Wigley Road. Officers were not able to catch the man, and he remains on the run.
Authorities learned that the Hyundai had been stolen from an address off Kingfisher Cove in Cherokee County, the release said. Deputies then returned to look for the Toyota, which remained parked near the initial scene.
Martin was inside the car, and he was quickly detained, the release said. Deputies discovered the Toyota had been stolen in DeKalb County, and Martin also had an active probation violation warrant in Henry County.
Martin also allegedly possessed a wallet that belonged to the owner of the stolen Hyundai. In connection with the stolen items, he was charged with two counts of theft by receiving and one count of loitering and prowling.
“Investigators believe the two suspects were in the area looking for unlocked vehicles to steal from,” the release said. “We want to take this opportunity to urge citizens to always lock your car doors.”
Martin remains in the Cherokee County jail without bond.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 678-493-4200.
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