A Midland man, Deandre Benjamin Mitchell, 25, was arrested on August 30 and charged with felony theft after allegedly stealing auto rims valued at over $12,000.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Reporter-Telegram, investigators say Mitchell stole approximately 70 rims from Box Auto Salvage between July 18 and August 30. The rims, marked with distinctive part numbers and color codes by the salvage yard, were easily identifiable.
The theft came to light when the sales manager reported that someone had cut through a barbed wire fence to access the property and removed between 25 and 30 rims. The manager had been contacting local pawn shops and recycling centers to locate the stolen property.
Recycle Midland employees reported that Mitchell made two trips to their facility with a U-Haul box truck bearing Texas plates. On the first trip, he was paid $980 for rims; on the second, $407.40. Upon recognizing the markings, Recycle Midland contacted Box Auto Salvage.
Authorities recovered surveillance footage, Mitchell’s driver’s license, and receipts from the transactions. The stolen rims were returned to the salvage yard following an inventory that confirmed a total value of roughly $12,250.
Mitchell was charged with a state jail felony for theft and is currently held at Midland County Central Detention Center on a $20,000 bond. He also faces three misdemeanor charges related to the case.
