Accused Detroit AC Unit thieves arrested and charged
Suspects arrested for air conditioning unit thefts
Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren says there is a market for AC units. The suspects are allegedly behind more than a dozen stolen units in Southfield, but these thefts have been occurring all over the metro area during this steamy summer.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - Southfield police actively pursued a pair of air conditioner thieves, who were accused of and caught at a westside Detroit liquor store.
What they're saying:
Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren says there is a market for AC units. The suspects are allegedly behind more than a dozen stolen units in Southfield, but these thefts have been occurring all over the metro area during this steamy summer.
"These individuals do their own surveillance, and then they determine what tools they need and what vehicles for transport," said Barren.
They allegedly snatched six units from the Riverstone Apartments in Southfield, prompting Chief Barren to deploy his tactical surveillance unit on them.
"Whether it’s a violent suspect or someone wanted for property crime, once we give them the case, there’s a high probability of arrest," said Barren.
He says they were caught snipping lines at another apartment complex, preparing to steal eight more units in the middle of the night, but the plot was foiled first.
The suspects, 36-year-old Alan Frederick and 37-year-old Jevon Smith, have been charged for the first six units with pending charges on the remaining eight they allegedly prepped for theft.
Suspects Alan Frederick, left and Jevon Smith
Dig deeper:
David Upton has been in the heating and cooling business for 30 years, and has not seen this many thefts since the housing market crashed in the late 2000s.
Copper prices are up for scrapping, and inventory is down due to tariffs.
"We think it’s a perfect storm," said Upton. "I’m pretty sure you’re going to see a rash of replacements using stolen 4/10 equipment, but the odd part is they're all have serial numbers and can be tracked."
David’s company, Hero Heating and Cooling, installs heavy-duty cages on A/C units for security.
"You can get prefab cages; they start at a couple hundred dollars, with some of the fancier ones costing 5/6/700 dollars," said Upton.
What you can do:
If you need a quick fix, Upton suggests throwing a floodlight on your unit or hiding it with plants and shrubbery.