Two men, Wilbur Antonio Flores, 33, of Baltimore, MD, and Luis Viera, 33, of Brooklyn, MD, have been arrested in Gordon County after allegedly stealing quarters from coin-operated air compressor machines at local convenience stores. The suspects were caught after a series of thefts that spanned multiple states.
Deputies responded to a theft report at a convenience store near Calhoun and were provided with a description of the thieves fleeing in a black Chevy SUV. Approximately an hour later, deputies spotted the offenders breaking into another machine at a store in Calhoun. Officers swiftly responded, and the suspects surrendered without incident.
Upon searching the suspects’ vehicle, deputies discovered over $1,000 in quarters, a stolen license plate, a crowbar used to break into the machines, and a shop vac they had used to extract the coins. Sheriff’s detectives later executed a search warrant at the motel where the suspects were staying and recovered several thousands of dollars in quarters from the room.
One of the suspects reportedly told officers that they had been targeting coin-operated machines all the way from Maryland to Georgia. Both Flores and Viera were arrested and are facing charges related to theft and possession of stolen property.
