Coin Operated Air Compressor Thieves Surrender Peacefully to Gordon County Deputies

Gordon county deputies responded to a report of a theft this week from a coin operated air compressor at a convenience store near Calhoun.

Two men from Maryland are facing theft charges after being accused of breaking into coin-operated air compressors at convenience stores in Gordon County.

According to the Gordon County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a theft report at a convenience store near Calhoun on Monday. Witnesses told deputies that two men were seen fleeing the scene in a black Chevy SUV after breaking into an air compressor machine.

About an hour later, deputies spotted the SUV at another convenience store in Calhoun, where the men were seen breaking into another machine. Other officers arrived at the scene and the two suspects surrendered peacefully, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies searched the SUV and found over $1,000 in quarters, a stolen license plate, a crowbar that was used to break into the machine, and a shop vac that was used to extract the coins.

Sheriff's detectives later found where the suspects were staying at a local motel and executed a search warrant there. They found several thousands of dollars in quarters in the room, according to the sheriff's office.

One of the suspects told an arresting officer that they had been targeting machines all the way down from Maryland to Georgia, the sheriff's office said.

The defendants were identified as Wilbur Antonio Flores, 33, of Baltimore, MD, and Luis Viera, 33, of Brooklyn, MD.