Couple accused of preying on firefighters in 17 different Georgia counties

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County couple is accused of preying on firefighters in 17 different north Georgia counties, stealing dozens of guns from cars.

The pair is now in custody as police try to figure out how they could hit so many fire stations in such a short period of time.

“We believe one of the main things the suspects were looking for were firearms,” Cobb County’s police chief, Mike Register, said.

Register says their suspects believed firefighters likely kept firearms in their cars and that’s what they were looking for during their five-month-long crime spree.

"But what happened to the 40 guns now missing?" Channel 2's Ross Cavitt asked.

“That’s still an ongoing portion of the case,” Register said.

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Investigators say good old-fashioned police work combined with new technologies helped lead to the Gwinnett County couple.

As far as they know, neither Elijah Ross nor Ayana Forest had any connections to firefighters, but the two made firefighters' jobs that much more difficult.

“Very discouraging for them, you know," Bill Johnson with the Cobb County Fire Department said. "They are out doing their job serving the citizens and trying to protect them the best they can, only to find out they return from a call or wake up in the morning to find their cars have been broken into and their personal items stolen," Bill Johnson with the Cobb County Fire Department said.

Police allege the couple hit 44 locations in 17 counties, breaking into more than 160 cars.

"Although they won’t say how many, if any, of the guns they have recovered, they believe they were destined for the black market," Maj. Jeff Adcock said.

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