East Texas police are searching for two men allegedly behind the disappearance of half a dozen chainsaws from a John Deere dealership in May of this year.
The Crockett Police Department, located approximately 150 miles southeast of Dallas, responded to reports of a burglary at United Ag Equipment on May 31, according to a Facebook post from the department. Upon arriving at the business located at 1220 E Loop 304, the officers discovered that someone had broken in through the side glass door and made off with six commercial Stihl chainsaws.
Over the course of the investigation, the officers found video footage taken by the surveillance camera of a neighboring business. It showed that two male suspects driving “a newer model Mercedes SUV” had arrived on the premises shortly before 7:30 p.m. on May 30. Parking at Aaron’s next door, they made their way to the John Deere dealership on foot while a female suspect sat and waited in the vehicle.
As a result of police departments in Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee combining resources and working together over several months, the two male suspects were identified as 24-year-old Gary Dewayne Simmons and 27-year-old Christopher James Watson. The female passenger remains unidentified.
As reported by Crockett PD, both men were issued arrest warrants, with Watson being served his while in police custody in Louisiana.
According to jail records, Watson is currently being held on a bond of $110,000 in Beauregard Parish Jail for charges related to theft and burglary of a home. He was booked on August 8.
However, the second suspect, Simmons, has not yet been found.
Police in Tennessee also named Simmons as one of two suspects wanted in connection to two other burglaries committed in May and June. The latest theft involved the loss of over 10 commercial chainsaws with an approximate retail value of $7,500. The suspects were said to be driving a newer model Toyota Highlander, as indicated in video footage taken at the scene.
None of the stolen merchandise has been recovered.
In Dallas, spikes in auto theft, burglary, robbery, and more have been seen in certain parts of the city this year, such as The Dallas Express‘ Crime Boss of the Month Council Member Zarin D. Gracey’s District 3.
Dallas PD’s crime analytics dashboard had logged an overwhelming 40.6% increase year over year in reports of auto theft in 2023 as of October 16. The department has also been contending with staffing shortages, with less than 3,200 officers currently sworn in despite a city analysis stating that Dallas required a force of about 4,000 officers to properly maintain public safety.
