CELINA — Police have identified a suspect accused of trying to steal a pickup truck in Mercer County who was found dead in Grand Lake a few days later.
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The man, identified as 47-year-old Alvin Lee Stabler from Hoover, Alabama, was recovered from the lake on Dec. 27.
Celina police initially responded to reports of an alarm at a used car lot on South Main Street around 7 p.m. on Christmas Day.
One officer saw a person inside a pickup truck on the dealership lot when they arrived.
The suspect ran away when they got closer, the spokesperson said.
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The suspect, identified by police as Stabler, ran across U.S. Route 127 toward West Bank Road and continued through nearby residential properties.
Authorities searched the area, but couldn’t find him.
Police said he was trying to steal the pickup truck from the dealership.
On Dec. 26, a nearby resident looked at their personal security footage and saw the police activity.
Officers watched the video, which showed a man believed to be Stabler ducking behind a retaining wall to hide from police and eventually jumping into Grand Lake.
Stabler wasn’t seen exiting the water.
Officers searched the area again, but it was too dark to determine if anyone was still in the water.
Just after 9 a.m. on Saturday, authorities resumed searching and located Stabler’s body.
“Burglary tools were also recovered, including a device believed to be used to reprogram a vehicle’s security and ignition system,” a police spokesperson said.
We will continue to follow this story.
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