EPPD: Man sold vehicle with lien attached to it, stole two Mustangs from car dealership

Police officers assigned to the department’s Auto Theft Task Force arrested and charged a man accused of selling a vehicle with a lien and stealing two vehicles from an auto dealership’s car lot.

Police charged 21-year-old Michael Dewayne Owens Jr, of Fort Bliss, Texas, with two counts of Theft of Vehicle and one count of Fraudulent Transfer of Motor Vehicle.

The investigation revealed Owens allegedly sold a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro in February of 2017, while the vehicle had a lien attached to it, police said.

On June 11, 2017 Owens allegedly entered an unlocked 2017 Blue Ford Mustang, took the vehicle key FOB from the vehicle’s lock box and drove the vehicle off the car lot without permission, police said.

On July 9, 2017 Owens allegedly returned to the same auto dealership and opened and unlocked 2017 Black Ford Mustang GT Coupe Supercharged, took the key FOB from the vehicle’s lock box and drove the vehicle off
the car lot without the owner’s permission, police said.

Police arrested Owens on July 31, 2017. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on bonds totaling $140,000.

All three vehicles were recovered and returned to the owners, police said.