Three caught for rash of auto break-ins
Three men, including a juvenile, are in jail in Memphis on felony charges after an overnight incident where more than 20 vehicles were damaged at a Southaven distribution center parking lot.
Southaven officers were called to 8835 Commerce Drive, south of Stateline Road, about 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. That is where the Vistar Distribution Center is located, inside the Stateline Business Park.
Officers were called on the report of cars in the parking lot being broken into.
As the officers arrived, a suspect vehicle was leaving and heading east on Stateline Road, ignoring police efforts for the vehicle to stop.
Approaching Tchulahoma Road, the suspect vehicle swerved at a Southaven police car, disabling the squad car when it was forced to hit a metal guard rail.
The pursuit of the suspects continued toward Memphis and the area of Fairley Park in the Whitehaven area of the city, near Howard Drive and Vickie Drive on the east edge of the park and west of the Whitehaven Golf Course. That’s where the vehicle left the roadway and the suspects tried to flee the scene.
One of the suspects was caught immediately and with the assistance from the Memphis Police Department the others were also captured.
Police say several stolen firearms were found in the suspect vehicle, which reportedly had also been stolen in Memphis.
One of the apprehended suspects has a warrant out for auto burglaries that took place in Southaven about a month ago, police say.
He was identified as Devante Abston, age 22 of Memphis. Abston is charged with auto burglary, felony fleeing, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit and felony crime, felony receiving stolen property, and possession of a stolen firearm.
Also arrested was Jamal Moore, age 18 of Memphis, who is charged with auto burglary and felony conspiracy to commit a crime.
A juvenile was also taken into custody in the connection with the case.
In total 21 vehicles were broken into at the Vistar Distribution parking lot.
