Three men accused of stealing pricey lawn equipment from a Conyers Home Depot were arrested Sunday evening after getting caught in the act, authorities said.
Conyers police responded to the home improvement store on Dogwood Drive and found the men loading a lawn mower into the back of a U-Haul, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
“Officers were already aware of previous thefts at this location involving a U-Haul box truck targeting high-end lawn mowers,” deputies said.
Two of the suspects, 43-year-old Correy Robinson and 56-year-old Tracy Morris, were arrested at the scene. The third man managed to get into the cab of the U-Haul, however, before leading police on a chase on I-20.
“At that time, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office was notified and quickly encountered the suspect fleeing toward DeKalb County,” the post said, adding that deputies continued the chase since the suspects were tied to several thefts across metro Atlanta.
Police said the driver of the U-Haul, identified as David Louis McWhinney, 37, of Atlanta, exited the interstate at Turner Hill Road and got onto Ga. 124 before losing control of the truck around a curve and running off the road.
After crashing the U-Haul, deputies said McWhinney got out with a pistol and ran. He was eventually captured and the gun was recovered nearby.
Morris is charged with two counts of felony theft by taking, while Robinson faces three counts of felony theft by taking and one count of making false statements, jail records show. McWhinney, the driver of the U-Haul, is charged with three counts of felony theft by taking, two counts of fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
All three men are being held without bond.
AJC.com has reached out to investigators for more information on their alleged crime spree.
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