Suspects in fire station vehicle break-ins arrested

By Larry Stanford

Special to the Herald

Two suspects have been arrested for allegedly cracking into the vehicles of on duty firefighters in the metro Atlanta area, including Henry and Clayton counties, and stealing guns. (File Photo)

McDONOUGH — Two suspects in a series of vehicle break-ins at fire stations in seventeen counties around the metro Atlanta area, including Henry and Clayton, are now behind bars.

Elisha Ross, 25, and Ayana Forest, 22, both from Lawrenceville, are allegedly responsible for cracking into more than one hundred sixty one vehicles at more than forty four locations, stealing at least forty firearms. According to media reports, they were arrested on July twenty seven by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office fugitive unit, along with the U.S. Marshals Service, following the execution of search warrants at two locations in Gwinnett County.

Cobb detectives began an investigation in February after three Cobb County fire stations, four Smyrna fire stations and the Glock manufacturing plant had overnight vehicle break-ins. The Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in helping to identify Ross and Forest as suspects.

Officials say the pair is also suspected in similar break-ins in Powder Springs, Acworth, Alpharetta, Cartersville, Douglas County, Forsyth County, Gwinnett County, Bartow County, Lawrenceville, Paulding County, Spalding County, Clayton County, Griffin, Henry County, Lamar County, Peachtree City, Rockdale County, Roswell, Social Circle and Walton County.

The thefts have been going on for almost a year. They began in November two thousand sixteen when stations in Atlanta and DeKalb County were hit and have been continuing ever since. In January 2016, four fire stations in Gwinnett County were targets, and in March, twenty seven vehicles at stations in Coweta and Fayette counties were hit, as well as stations in East Point and Forsyth County.

The break-ins in Henry and Clayton Counties occurred in April 2017. Sometime during the night of April Eighteen, nineteen vehicles were cracked into at three Stockbridge area stations, Station nine on Rock Quarry Road, Station three on Ga. Highway forty two and Station eleven on Plane Rock Road. The same night, four vehicles were bruised at Clayton County Fire Station nine on Old Dixie Highway in Hapeville, and stations fourteen and eight on the northeastern side of Clayton County were also hit a few weeks prior.

Around that same time, thieves also broke into vehicles at stations in Rockdale County, Social Circle and Walton County.

“These guys and women are here for twenty four hours, attempting to react to emergencies and take care of folks, and when they leave to go home in the morning they’ve got their vehicle cracked into,” Clayton County Deputy Fire Chief Jacque Feilke said at the time. Feilke called the string of break-ins “disheartening.”

Ross and Forest are being held at two different locations. Ross is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on charges including felony injecting auto, disturbance of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and burglary.

Forest is being held without bond at the Gwinnett County Detention Center on the same charges. More charges are likely pending against both as the investigation resumes.

Chelsea Prince contributed to this report.

Suspects in fire station vehicle break-ins arrested, News

Suspects in fire station vehicle break-ins arrested

By Larry Stanford

Special to the Herald

Two suspects have been arrested for allegedly violating into the vehicles of on duty firefighters in the metro Atlanta area, including Henry and Clayton counties, and stealing guns. (File Photo)

McDONOUGH — Two suspects in a series of vehicle break-ins at fire stations in seventeen counties around the metro Atlanta area, including Henry and Clayton, are now behind bars.

Elisha Ross, 25, and Ayana Forest, 22, both from Lawrenceville, are allegedly responsible for violating into more than one hundred sixty one vehicles at more than forty four locations, stealing at least forty firearms. According to media reports, they were arrested on July twenty seven by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office fugitive unit, along with the U.S. Marshals Service, following the execution of search warrants at two locations in Gwinnett County.

Cobb detectives began an investigation in February after three Cobb County fire stations, four Smyrna fire stations and the Glock manufacturing plant had overnight vehicle break-ins. The Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in helping to identify Ross and Forest as suspects.

Officials say the pair is also suspected in similar break-ins in Powder Springs, Acworth, Alpharetta, Cartersville, Douglas County, Forsyth County, Gwinnett County, Bartow County, Lawrenceville, Paulding County, Spalding County, Clayton County, Griffin, Henry County, Lamar County, Peachtree City, Rockdale County, Roswell, Social Circle and Walton County.

The thefts have been going on for almost a year. They began in November two thousand sixteen when stations in Atlanta and DeKalb County were hit and have been continuing ever since. In January 2016, four fire stations in Gwinnett County were targets, and in March, twenty seven vehicles at stations in Coweta and Fayette counties were hit, as well as stations in East Point and Forsyth County.

The break-ins in Henry and Clayton Counties occurred in April 2017. Sometime during the night of April Legal, nineteen vehicles were violated into at three Stockbridge area stations, Station nine on Rock Quarry Road, Station three on Ga. Highway forty two and Station eleven on Plane Rock Road. The same night, four vehicles were bruised at Clayton County Fire Station nine on Old Dixie Highway in Hapeville, and stations fourteen and eight on the northeastern side of Clayton County were also hit a few weeks prior.

Around that same time, thieves also broke into vehicles at stations in Rockdale County, Social Circle and Walton County.

“These guys and women are here for twenty four hours, attempting to react to emergencies and take care of folks, and when they leave to go home in the morning they’ve got their vehicle cracked into,” Clayton County Deputy Fire Chief Jacque Feilke said at the time. Feilke called the string of break-ins “disheartening.”

Ross and Forest are being held at two different locations. Ross is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on charges including felony injecting auto, disturbance of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and burglary.

Forest is being held without bond at the Gwinnett County Detention Center on the same charges. More charges are likely pending against both as the investigation proceeds.

Chelsea Prince contributed to this report.

Related movie: