Pontiac Cops Bust Teens Riding Stolen ATV
PONTIAC (WWJ) - Police in Pontiac say two teenagers arrested for stealing an all-terrain vehicle tried to disguise their crime with spray paint.
Eighteen-year-old Demarkius Jones and 19-year-old Coryell Gross are facing up to 15 years in prison after being charged with unarmed robbery.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office said the pair was arrested after stealing the ATV on Sunday from a residence in the 600 block of Second Avenue, just east of Joslyn Avenue, and assaulting the vehicle's 23-year-old owner.
According to police, the victim was riding his four-wheeler near Barkell Street and First Avenue when he was approached by three suspects who asked to buy the ATV. The victim told police that when he said the vehicle wasn't for sale, the suspects attacked him with their fists, knocking him to the ground. The suspects then rode off on the four-wheeler.
Shortly after recording a report of the incident, deputies saw Jones and Gross riding the ATV approximately a mile and a half away on W. Cornell Avenue.
Police say the duo had spray painted the ATV black in order to hide its original light blue color. Deputies also noted that the paint was still wet and both teens had black paint on them.
Jones -- who has three prior arrest as a juvenile for assault and battery, retail fraud and marijuana possession -- and Gross are currently free on $5,000 dollar personal bonds.
Police say a third suspect was identified and released.
