DEARBORN – After extensive investigations, Dearborn Police have arrested members of a teenage gang involved in the organized theft of vehicles and their contents across the city.

On Tuesday, the Dearborn Police Department announced that it had arrested two teenage suspects, aged 15 and 16, while continuing to search for three others believed to be involved in a series of car thefts in the northeastern part of the city over the past weekend. Authorities also said the gang may be connected to a shooting incident in nearby Redford Township, after a homeowner there reportedly confronted them.

Police released surveillance video footage showing members of the gang stepping out of two cars, one following the other, and quickly checking door handles of vehicles parked along the streets and driveways to steal items—or the cars themselves. The footage clearly reveals the group’s systematic method of operation, as they disappear within seconds after rifling through cars and taking what they can.

Investigators explained that the group typically tests car door handles and grabs whatever valuables they find. In some cases, they press the ignition button, and if the key is left inside, they simply drive off — often for joyrides before abandoning the vehicles elsewhere.

While police have not released the identities of the two minors — who are suspected in six car theft reports from the past weekend — The Arab American News has learned that both suspects are African American teenagers from Detroit.

“I’m pleased to report that we have made an arrest this morning in this case and later executed a search warrant that led to the arrest of another individual,” Police Chief Issa Shahin said on Tuesday.

He added that the gang, whose three remaining members are still at large, “were not only stealing vehicles but were also involved in a shooting in Redford, where a homeowner came out to intervene, and one of them fired a shot at him.”

Shahin expressed concern over the growing number of crimes committed by juveniles, urging residents to lock their cars, remove valuables and report any suspicious activity to help prevent becoming victims of such random crimes in the future.

The initial search warrant executed by Dearborn Police resulted in the seizure of a handgun with a defaced serial number and two stolen vehicles.