ELIZABETH CITY N.C. (WAVY) — Maryland Police caught a man from Elizabeth City red-handed stealing car parts earlier this month along with a 21-year-old woman from Georgia.
Pocomoke City Police say they received a call just before 6 a.m. on September 9 regarding a “suspicious person looking around cars” in the area.
When they got to the scene, police say they found 50-year-old Jeffrey Stephenson wearing a one-piece overall suit laying on the ground under a vehicle.
Officers ordered him from underneath the vehicle and questioned the alleged suspect why he was under the vehicle and he stated he had permission to remove a fan from the vehicle, from a friend.
Officers located several tools to include a jack, and a battery-operated reciprocating saw laying under the vehicle. Officers made contact with the building owner. The owner arrived on the scene and stated he did not give anyone permission to remove parts from any vehicles on the property.
The owner checked the vehicle and confirmed he was in fact attempting to remove the catalytic converters from the vehicle. Officers then located two other catalytic converters that the suspect had removed from the vehicles.
Stephenson was then arrested and currently being held by authorities on a $1,500 bond.
A short time later, police went back to the same area for a reported theft and found that Stephenson’s work truck was still in the scene.
Inside the truck, they found 21-year-old Alexis Vernon from Georgia.
Officers located inside the trucks cabin area a box with approximately 5 Dewalt, 1 Craftsman, and two miscellaneous blades were located in a drawer. Inside of a tan purse officers in plain view officers observed a smoking device.
Officers noticed several pieces of residue still attached to the circular end of the smoking device. Officers say they then located a clear in color, a plastic bag containing several small clear rock-like substances.
The owner admitted the substance was crystal methamphetamine.
Vernon was arrested and charged with possession of controlled substances.