Three suspects are in custody and face several felony charges following a high-speed police chase through Wake County. Several of those charges stem from the suspects’ connection to an early morning burglary.
At around 4:00 am Thursday morning, Knightdale officers responded to an alarm activation at the Mack’s Mart convenience store on Knightdale Boulevard. Police did not find anyone at the scene but discovered that someone had broken into the business and stolen several cartons of cigarettes. Video surveillance at the store captured the images of three suspects and the getaway vehicle – a white work van.
Later that morning, at around 6:41 am, Raleigh Police responded to the 500 block of Dennis Avenue to investigate the report of a stolen, white Ford F250 work van. Investigators learned that the van was equipped with GPS tracking, allowing the officers to quickly pinpoint its location. Deputies from the Wake County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the area to locate the stolen vehicle; however, the van sped away as they approached. The fleeing vehicle then led authorities on a chase that spanned several miles and multiple jurisdictions before it crashed on I-440 near Poole Road.
Police identified and arrested 46-year-old Jose Velasquez, 47-year-old Merlin Knapton, and 27-year-old Destinee Gantt at the crash site. Knightdale Police identified the stolen van as the same vehicle seen in the surveillance footage outside the Mack’s Mart convenience store. Gantt, Knapton, and Velasquez were also positively identified as the suspects depicted in the store’s security video. Knightdale investigators charged all three suspects with Felony Breaking & Entering, Felony Larceny, Felony Conspiracy, and Felony Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.