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Two charged in thefts from gas stations
Authorities: Air machines targeted for change
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Forsyth County News

Authorities have made two arrests as they continue to investigate recent thefts from air machines at local gas stations.

On Thursday, Cedric Bell, 49, and Cassandra Goodjohn, 36, both of Atlanta, were charged with criminal damage and theft, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

Both are being held at the Forsyth County Detention Center, where Goodjohn’s bond has been set at $6,765. Bell has been denied bond due to his probation for a felony conviction, officials said.

The suspects were arrested about 10:40 p.m. Thursday following a theft call from the Shell gas station at 1739 Buford Highway.

The owner told sheriff’s deputies he found a man standing next to a minivan “drilling into the air pump machine with a power tool.” The man claimed to be cleaning his van, but the owner noticed damage to the machine and called authorities.

Deputies stopped the van a short time later on Ga. 400 near Bald Ridge Marina Road, said Rick Doyle, director of operations with the sheriff’s office. After a bag full of quarters and several tools was found in the minivan, Bell and Goodjohn confessed to the theft.

According to the sheriff’s office, the suspects may have been involved in similar crimes at other gas stations, whose air machines were also damaged and all the quarters removed, Doyle said.

“We have identified six other victims in the county and are working with surrounding agencies to identify others,” he said. “This was a collaborative, heads-up effort between the business owners and our deputies.”