Lawton police say a carport worth about $2,500 came apart bolt by bolt on Northwest Lincoln Avenue back on June 26, then rolled away on a trailer behind a red Nissan Titan. A neighbor photographed three suspects and the truck, and those pictures gave investigators their first solid lead. Dion Joe Morton, 47, was identified as the truck’s owner and now faces a felony grand larceny charge after Comanche County District Court issued an arrest warrant Tuesday.
According to an affidavit, Morton told an acquaintance he had stolen the carport and sold it to his brother-in-law. When Detective Ethan McCracken interviewed him, Morton knew details about the case no one else would have known, yet denied any involvement. Because of five prior felony convictions, the grand larceny charge carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years.
This is the kind of case that makes you appreciate the people on your block who actually look out their windows. One neighbor with a cell phone may have cracked a felony case in broad daylight. What would you do if you saw something like this happening on your street?
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Local Lawton
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