A man accused of stealing multiple vehicles from a Cottonwood dealership was arrested after fleeing police twice across two jurisdictions.
On May 16, Cottonwood police officers responded to Cottonwood Auto Sales on 755 E. SR 89A after two vehicles were reported stolen overnight, according to the Cottonwood Police Department.
Cottonwood Auto Sales General Manager Ty Stuit said a staff member stopped by the store Sunday morning and found the door had been broken into, two vehicles were missing and another was parked wrong.
“[We] noticed that there were two vehicles missing and some keys scattered. It looked like the guy went through and looked at the trucks and tried to pick out which one he wanted and he took one,” Stuit said.
The missing vehicles were identified as a 2013 Ford F-250 and a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan, valued at approximately $70,000 total. A set of keys to a Lexus GX70 and two dealer plates were also noted to be missing.
The suspect was able to access the keys by defeating the locking mechanism that they were found in and broke into the building through the front door.
“He knew how to break the mold off the door panel on the outside and push the glass out without breaking it so he could get in the door,” Stuit said.
On May 17, the Chino Valley Police Department received a tip that David “D.J.” Knight, was seen driving a white Ford F-250 near the Chino Valley High School.
Knight was wanted by the Chino Valley Police Department for multiple auto theft and burglary charges unrelated to the Cottonwood incident, and, at the time, local authorities were unaware of the dealership theft from the day before, according to police.
Officers located Knight driving the truck, which still had the dealer license plate on it, heading west on East Center Street in Chino Valley. When they attempted to stop him, he reportedly fled.
“David accelerated away from the pursuing officers in such a reckless manner that the Chino Valley Police Department called off the pursuit,” Cottonwood Police Sgt. Chad Sinn said in a statement.
Later that day, a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted Knight speeding. The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Knight allegedly fled again with police in pursuit.
Officers deployed stop sticks, which stopped the vehicle. Knight reportedly drove the truck off the road and into a ditch. He was then arrested by the ChinoValley Police Department.
Cottonwood detectives were informed of the arrest. Police later located the stolen minivan, which was found parked just a short distance from Cottonwood Auto Sales unharmed.
Stuit said both vehicles were returned to them with minimal damage.
“He took the minivan and he stashed it across the street from us, hoping to come back and get it,” Stuit said. “He drove the truck into a ditch and [it] had some minor damage to it, but nothing catastrophic.”
Knight was booked into the Yavapai County Detention Center in Camp Verde on vehicle theft and burglary charges along with several more charges from other jurisdictions, including Maricopa County, where he allegedly stole a U-Haul pickup truck that he used to drive to Cottonwood before stealing the vehicles at Cottonwood Auto Sales, Sinn said. He is currently being held with no bond.
