Michigan Man Is Accused of Stealing $1.5 Million in Cadillac Escalades

A 24-year-old man was taken into custody recently after multiple Cadillac Escalade-Vs were stolen outside Detroit, authorities said.

The man was identified as Deon Brooks, of Warren, Michigan, and he was being held on $2 million bond, according to the Detroit Free Press. Brooks was arrested after the Escalade-Vs—valued at around $1.5 million—were stolen from a GM lot in Warren, where they were stored before being shipped to dealers or customers.

The 682 hp Escalade-Vs start at $164,495 and are the high-performance variant of Cadillac’s Escalade full-size luxury SUV. Escalade-V ESVs start at $3,000 more and are Cadillac’s most expensive model, at least until the Celestiq, which is expected to cost around $340,000.

Police think that Brooks “‘retagged’ the vehicles with cloned vehicle identification numbers and sold them out of state for a large profit,” according to the Free Press. Seized in the probe was also a list of possibly suspicious items, including methamphetamine, fake State Department documents, and a Chrysler Pacifica. The suspect was arrested on March 11.

Car theft in Michigan is an enemy that automakers, owners, and residents have been accustomed to since the beginning of cars in Michigan, in part because of simply how many cars are manufactured there and left on lots waiting for shipment to customers or lots elsewhere. High-performance cars like the Escalade-V are especially in demand since they can fetch the biggest price.

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Auto theft in Michigan has also increased in recent years, with 28,404 cars stolen there in 2023, a 4.1 rise from the previous year, according to the state’s attorney general. That number is also up 48.4 percent compared to five years ago, and Michigan authorities announced in February that they would be expanding a statewide task force to combat car crime. Authorities said that there would also be a dedicated prosecutor to “pursue high-level auto theft rings operating in Metro Detroit.”