Seatbelt stop yields stolen vehicle recovery

By Katie Nichols (Contact) | Selma Times-Journal

Published Thursday, February 12, 2009

A minor traffic infraction has resulted in an arrest of three suspects and the recovery of a motorcycle reported stolen in 2006.

Officers arrested Reginald Horn, 37; Alford Ruffin, 32, and Mario Reed, 27, and charged them with first-degree receiving stolen property Wednesday afternoon.

Selma police Det. Jeffery Hardy stopped a vehicle because the driver did not appear to wear a seatbelt.

Sgt. Doug Stewart said. "Detective Hardy noticed when he was talking to the driver that the motorcycle in the bed of the truck did not have a tag on it."

Hardy ran the motorcycle’s vehicle identification number, and a dispatcher reported the bike was stolen in June 2006 in Livingston.

Hardy arrested the three suspects and questioned them.

"Ruffin told officers that they contributed over $1,000 each to purchase the motorcycle from an unknown man," Stewart said. "More charges could be pending though, if the owner has information connected one of the suspects to the theft."

Officer said the three suspects did not live in Selma.

Horn resides in Toomsuba, Miss., Ruffin lives in Cuba, Ala., and Reed lives in Lisman, Ala.

"It appears the three suspects were just passing through at the time of the arrest," Stewart said. "The motorcycle being found was through good police work. Detective Hardy did a good job of noticing the motorcycle didn’t have a tag and then following up on that lead."

Officers placed Horn, Ruffin and Reed in the Dallas County Jail under $50,000 bond each. They all made bond and were released.

The three suspects now face a class-b felony. If convicted, then they could face imprisonment from two to 20 years and a fine up to $30,000.

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