CARROLLTON - A teen-ager from Durant with an apparent penchant for heisting motor vehicles is being sought by Carroll County authorities.
Chief Deputy Michael Spellman identified the teen as Michael McCllean, Jr., who is 16 but has been adjudicated as an adult.
McCllean allegedly took a pickup truck Monday afternoon from a roadside park on U. S.51 north of Vaiden, but that wasn't his first experience with vehicular misappropriation in Carroll County, Spellman said.
The morning of July 17, Vaiden Patrolman Curtis Bailey escorted McCllean inside his patrol car at the 35/55 Truck Stop and went back to McCllean's vehicle of the moment - a stolen wrecker - to get the keys from it. While Bailey was preoccupied with getting the keys, McCllean took off in the patrol car.
The patrol car was later retrieved, and so was the suspect.
Jailed in Grenada, McCllean bonded out Aug. 10, Spellman said.
Monday afternoon, Charles McCluskey of North Carrollton, an employee of J. J. Ferguson Sand & Gravel Co., parked his company truck at the roadside park. His company is involved in construction work along U. S. 51. He was only going to be gone a few minutes, Spellman said, but when he returned to get the truck, it was gone. Next to where he'd left the truck was another truck containing McCllean's school satchel.
This truck had been stolen from near the post office at Lexington, Spellman said.
The Ferguson truck was retrieved by staff from the Lexington Police Department, and McCluskey got it back Monday evening.
Later, another vehicle McCllean is believed to have stolen was recovered at West. Carroll County has issued a warrant for McCllean's arrest, Spellman said. MCllean was still on the lam this morning.
