Five people have been charged in this week’s botched theft of multiple Ram pickups at a locked yard serving Stellantis’ Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, which builds the popular Ram 1500.
Police in Sterling Heights said the group tried but failed to steal the trucks Tuesday morning, even ramming an entry and exit gate and striking a police car at the shipping yard. No one was hurt in that encounter, police said.
The five suspects were arraigned at 41A District Court in Sterling Heights on Thursday.
Several had similar charges, including larceny ($20,000 or more), and unlawful driving away of a motor vehicle: Timothy Haslam Jr., 18, four counts (he also faces a separate case in the same court filed Jan. 6 on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon); Jaquan Reed, 25, four counts; Demarion Palmer, 18, four counts, and Derrin Abbott, 22, five counts, including a charge of fleeing a police officer. Travon Brookins, 23, faced a different set of charges (four total), including possession of a weapon by a felon and possession of a controlled substance. All are from Detroit, according to police.
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Bail was set at 10% of $50,000 for all but Palmer (10% of $10,000). All, except Palmer, will also need to wear a tether if they make bail. Probable cause hearings are scheduled for Jan. 30.
Nine people in all were arrested Tuesday, but the other four suspects were released pending possible charges, according to Sterling Heights Police Lt. Mario Bastianelli.
The investigation is ongoing, police said.
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Although the details differ, the theft attempt has echoes of a more successful 2018 heist of multiple Ram trucks from Warren Truck Assembly prior to the 2021 merger that created Stellantis from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot maker PSA Group. That incident included reports from witnesses that “they saw a caravan of 2018 Ram trucks racing down streets in metro Detroit.”
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.