7 North Texas men charged in theft of more than 200 cars worth $9.3 million, police say
Seven men have been charged in connection with the theft of over 200 vehicles across North Texas as part of a massive auto theft ring, Grapevine police said.
From Jan. 1, 2023, through the suspects’ arrest on March 22 of this year, 316 vehicles were reported stolen in Grapevine. The following month, that number dropped to zero, said Grapevine Police Department spokesperson Amanda McNew.
“Very clearly we got the right people,” McNew told the Star-Telegram.
According to a news release from the Grapevine Police Department, a ring of thieves began stealing vehicles from public parking lots across North Texas in 2022. “An exceptionally high number” of the thefts took place in Grapevine, the release said.
Dodge Chargers and Challengers and Chevrolet Camaros were favorite targets of the thieves, McNew said.
Two Grapevine police detectives and a crime analyst spent hundreds of hours last year looking over crime bulletins, social media posts and surveillance video. In the process they identified several suspects and linked the group to more than 200 vehicles thefts in several North Texas cities, the release said.
Law enforcement officers, including members of the Northeast Tarrant County Area SWAT Team, executed two simultaneous warrants at addresses in Dallas and Garland on March 22. They knew ahead of time that the suspects likely had several guns in their possession, according to the release. There was also a possibility of a tiger being kept at one of the locations.
The warrants were successfully served, and there were no injuries, according to the release. Seven suspects, including 23-year-old Jeremiah Morel, 24-year-old Christian Morel, 20-year-old Dylan Correa, 19-year-old Gavin Correa, 22-year-old Kevin Oates Jr., 27-year-old Jose Perez and 26-year-old Henry Actwood Jr. were arrested.
All seven men have been charged with engaging in organized criminal activity. Officials said they anticipate the suspects will face federal charges as well.
The confirmed loss from the auto vehicle thefts connected to this group is over $9.3 million, Grapevine police said.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport also experienced a surge of vehicle thefts from its parking garages in the summer of 2023. McNew said she’s not aware of a connection between the group operating in Grapevine and the airport thieves.
