A man has been arrested after allegedly stealing GPS units from unlocked vehicles in LaFayette.

According to LaFayette Police Department reports:

Eighteen-year-old Benjamin Lucas Everett of Dayton Pike Road in Chattanooga, Tenn., was arrested at 4:10 p.m. on July 11 for illegally entering vehicles.

Police corporal Stacy Blalock encountered Everett at 2 a.m. walking near Magnolia Street and found him to be in possession of two GPS units.

After questioning Everett, Blalock recorded the model and serial numbers of the units, along with photographing the items despite Everett giving a “somewhat plausible reason for having them,” captain Stacey Meeks said.

A few hours later the first of the two reports of the stolen items were reported to officials at the LaFayette Police Department after a morning shift change.

“The items taken were GPS systems, which were identical to what corporal Blalock had found when he did the field interview with the suspect,” Meeks said.

Everett was staying with relatives on Charlie Stephens Road for the past week.

“Basically, it is a crime of opportunity. He came upon some unlocked vehicles, he needed money and saw the GPS’s and so he took them,” Meeks said.

Meeks and detective Darin Kelley were able to locate Everett at that residence at 2 p.m. later that day.

“We were able to recover the stolen property at the residence on a consent search,” Meeks said. Everett confessed to stealing the electronics and stated that he was bored and needed the money.

Meeks commends Blalock’s intuition in the situation, allowing for the documentation of the property and ability to identify the suspect prior to the discovery of the thefts, which allowed for the case to be resolved the same day it happened.

“(Blalock’s) actions led to the quick solving of this case,” Meeks said.

Everett will be facing two felony charges for entering autos.