Atlanta man wanted for $400K in car thefts arrested in Winder
Xavier Cordel Evans of Atlanta (Credit: Winder Police Department)
ATLANTA - The law has caught up with an Atlanta man accused of stealing $400,000 worth of cars.
Winder police arrested 28-year-old Xavier Cordel Evans on Feb. 15. Evans was suspected in a series of thefts of late-model heavy-duty trucks from Akins Ford, a dealership in Winder. They believe he made off with five of them.
The last vehicle was stolen at about 7 a.m. on Feb. 12. That's when the staff at Akins Ford reached out to police.
"These are not your ordinary car thieves," warned Winder Police Chief Jim Fullington. "This is an organized group or theft ring with specialized technical knowledge and equipment that target expensive late model vehicles that are in high demand for the whole vehicles or their parts."
Fullington explained that particular model requires advanced skills to bypass its security systems and then reprogram the electronic ignition systems.
The police teamed up with a crime analyst and Akins Ford security to find leads in the case.
Once they identified Evans, Winder police reached out to Atlanta police to make the arrest on Feb. 15 during a traffic stop.
Winder police executed a search warrant on Friday, resulting in the seizure of evidence they say links Evans to the other truck thefts at Akins.
Evans was charged with five felony counts of theft by taking motor vehicle. He is being held at the Barrow County Detention Center.