Series of car break-ins and thefts over one month period leads to arrest of Fort Smith 20-year-old

A series of car thefts and break-ins in late-April through mid-May has a 20-year-old Fort Smith man coming out of the holiday weekend facing multiple charges at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday morning in Fort Smith Circuit Court.

Alex Scott Ragan, who was arrested back on May 18 after an investigations by the Fort Smith Police Department, faces MULTIPLE counts of Class C Felony Theft of Property, Class D Felony Breaking and Entering and one count of Class A Felony Arson with a total bond amount of $44, 500 and a no bond hold on the arson charge.

Ragan was arrested in the cases by the FSPD after a series of vehicle thefts, one of which had him tracked by patrol officers because a 2008 Chevy Silverado that was stolen from Jody's Towing on May 18 was equipped with OnStar.

Ragan and a passenger were taken into custody after a traffic stop at the Family Dollar on Jenny Lind.

A third suspect, Andrew Jennings, was standing outside the truck when officers pulled up at the Family Dollar.

Ragan admitted he went to Jody's just to "carhop" and take things from vehicles. When asked if anyone else was with him he identified Jennings and another male, Dillen Kyle.

Ragan said he crawled under the fence at Jody's and began looking in the vehicles and noticed keys were left in ignitions and he decided to take the vehicles so he could "make money off of them".

Ragan used bolt cutters to cut the lock off the fence and took a 2008 Chevy Silverado, a Ford F350 with a gooseneck trailer and a Kia Spectra which he "staged" in area so he could go back later to take items off the vehicles.

Ragan said Kyle then took a 1996 Chevy 1500 from the lot and drove away.

Ragan admitted to breaking into other vehicles on the lot and told police where each vehicle was staged, Patrol officers were able to locate all the stolen vehicles. Including a black 2005 Jeep Cherokee Jennings had stolen from Sports and Imports,

Ragan admitted to three other car thefts throughout the city one of which he st Q's on Greenwood Road and later sat on fire due to "having the vehicle too long and wanting to get rid of it". Ragan also admitted to being with Jennings and breaking into cars at 700 North Albert Pike before going to Jody's.

According to information in the police reports, the series of thefts started on April 20 when a 2000 Mazda pick up was stolen from a parking lot at 815 North B Street.