(WXYZ) – Nine men are behind bars for allegedly stealing five brand new Chevrolet Camaros from General Motors’ Lansing Grand River Assembly plant.
The Michigan State Police said the men led police in a high-speed chase down I-96 through Ingham, Livingston and Oakland counties Monday morning.
The chase begins after midnight. MSP, Lt Brian Oleksyk said a BOL, or monitoring, broadcasts through police scanners to alert state soldiers.
MSP said the route of pursuit included Kensington Road to Grand River Avenue through Lyon, Wixom, Novi and Farmington Hills.
A police sweeper dispatcher said, “They usually carry a bunch of cash for gas because (car companies) start leaving their cars in E (empty) because they start getting a lot of crashes. “
Oleksyk explains, “With these pursuits, a number of stop sticks were used to bring these cars to a halt.”
Some of the stolen Camaros were eventually damaged.
Oleksyk said the nine suspects ranged in age from 20 to 24. Eight were from Detroit. One is from Saginaw.
“…we always get reports of stolen cars. We do recover stolen cars, but this one…for an ongoing investigation, which is really interesting and really special. In particular, it’s five brand new cars all going the same route, possibly going to the same destination, and all on I-96,” the lieutenant explained.
“In my experience in my 22 years as a state trooper, the stolen car is just the tip of the iceberg,” he continued.
The lieutenant asked: ‘Does the car in the cutting shop sell spare parts? Will they be re-tagged and sold illegally? ‘ These are two questions the investigation will explore and seek to uncover.
“This is something you see in the movies. Is there a crook behind this? …. So it’s an early stage to see if that’s a possibility. We’re working, going forward. investigation in that field.”
He said the suspects are facing a variety of charges including resisting and obstructing; receive stolen property hidden; and run and hide. More fees are expected.
In a statement to 7 Action News, a General Motors spokesman said, “We are working with local law enforcement to recover vehicles stolen from the Lansing Grand Assembly Plant. River. We will increase security at the plant and surrounding parking lots.”
“We will pursue the prosecution of the individuals involved to the fullest extent of the law,” he added.
