An Alabama woman came to Dalton in November to trade vehicles with a couple she met online. The only problem was that the vehicle she received in exchange for her own later turned out to be stolen. Now Dalton investigators are hoping someone will recognize the culprits.
The fraudulent swap happened in Dalton on Nov. 30. The victim made contact with the suspects on Facebook Marketplace when they offered a Honda Pilot SUV for sale or trade. The victim brought her black 2004 Acura TL to trade but balked when she discovered the Pilot’s “check engine” light was on. The suspects led her to a Dalton Auto Zone location on East Walnut Avenue where they had the “check engine” light diagnosed and the victim decided to go along with the swap. The suspects then led her to a residence in Dalton to retrieve the title for the vehicle. Unfortunately, the victim is not familiar with Dalton and does not recall where the residence is. The victim then signed over the title for her own vehicle and left Dalton. After returning home to Alabama and attempting to transfer the title into her own name, she discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen from Catoosa County.
The suspects were described as a white male and a white female. The male suspect had tattoos on his arms and neck and wore a white t-shirt with a black “45” on the front and a black baseball cap. He wore jeans tucked into a pair of boots. The female suspect was described as being “a healthy weight” and having brown hair. Dalton investigators were able to retrieve images of the male suspect from surveillance video from the Auto Zone where the “check engine” light was diagnosed.
Anyone with information on this crime or the identity of the suspects is asked to contact Detective Charles Williams at 706-278-9085, extension 9-280.