A suspect has been arrested in a string of car thefts across Wayne County last summer, Dearborn police said.
Police departments in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Livonia, Detroit, Garden City and Michigan State police – part of the Southeast Michigan Auto Crimes Consortium (SMACC), partnered to arrest the suspect after a lengthy investigation.
According to Dearborn police, several metro Detroit cities focused their investigation on a suspect after the theft of multiple Chevy Trailblazers and GMC Envoy-type vehicles in the summer of 2023. Those vehicles were stolen from Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Livonia, Lincoln Park and Detroit, police say.
Investigators worked together, searching through surveillance footage, to identify an individual suspect of organizing vehicle theft.
In November, they executed a search warrant at the suspect's home and recovered multiple stolen vehicles, stolen VIN plates, stolen car parts, key fobs and fraudulent documents.
The suspect, Tyree Perry Lacey, was charged on Jan. 19 with nine felonies, including conducting a criminal enterprise.
“Motor vehicle thefts continue to affect communities across the region. This joint task force is instrumental, especially in cases such as this where individuals are highly organized and responsible for many thefts. We are grateful for this collaboration and the resources made available through this SMACC partnership," Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said in a statement.
