'Bait car' thief says arrest has changed him for better

The theft, which was caught on tape in its entirety, took place back in September and yielded the arrest of Dwayne Jones, 28, on a charge of first-degree vehicle theft.

Jones has since pleaded guilty to the charge and been sentenced to two years of formal probation, according to court records. If he strays, he could face up to five years in prison under the plea deal.

But Jones, a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage, says the experience turned his life onto a new track.

He had been a soldier in the Army planning on a career there until he was discharged for medical reasons, he said in an interview Thursday. That's when his life took a turn for the worse, he said. He got depressed and started smoking marijuana, he said. He got arrested for ditching on the bill from a hotel and resisting arrest.

"Stealing that car, that was a wake-up call, basically -- you know, me going to jail," Jones said. "I was going to school at the same time and I really realized, you know what I'm saying, I should take my freedom more seriously, you know? And that's what I've learned."

The "bait car" is a vehicle police park around town and leave the keys in. Then they sit back waiting for someone to steal it. The intent is to nail car thieves and make potential thieves fear that the car they're about to boost could be a trap.

One day in late September, police got a bite. Jones took the vehicle off Bering Street between 31st and 32nd avenues. According to court documents, police had parked the vehicle in the spot from which Jones stole it the night before the theft.

But he says the car had been there for three days, visible out his window. He noticed the keys were in the center console the first day but he didn't touch it for a few more days, when it started looking like someone might have abandoned it, he said.

"Two days later, I just took it, you know? I was being reckless, man. You know, I took the car, I stole it. I didn't deny it," Jones said. "That was the first time I ever stole a car. It was easy because the keys were sitting right there."

The video shows him discussing his plans with an unnamed woman, who appears intoxicated and is holding a airplane-size bottle of liquor. Jones says he doesn't know her.

"If you're not gonna steal it, let me have it," the woman says.

"I'm gonna steal it," Jones replies.

The woman gets out and he pulls away, drives a short distance and gets back out. After a few minutes spent rifling through the car, Jones lets an unidentified man in and the two introduce themselves, shaking hands. Police Lt. Dave Parker said the man didn't know Jones and just offered to pay him for an "unofficial taxi" ride across town.

"He did not know that the car was stolen," Parker said. "He was not charged."

After the two drive off, Jones tells his guest he just bought the car for $500 from a "crackhead," speculating that it might be stolen.

"Damn," the man says.

As they ponder that possibility, police shouting orders and with guns drawn swoop in on the car at 32nd Avenue and A Street.

"Oh, this car is stolen, man," the passenger says.

Jones didn't know it then, but the car is equipped with a video camera and audio equipment to capture the dialog that takes place as thieves are at work.

The vehicle is also equipped with a real-time tracking device that tells police exactly where it is. And, in case the thief won't stop, police can shut down its engine remotely -- though the thief still controls the brakes and steering until the car stops, according to police.

Jones landed in jail for about five days after his arrest but escaped hard time for his crime. Now, he says, he's ready to move on. He majors in global logistics and accounting at UAA and has been on the chancellor's list with a 4.0 grade-point average two semesters in a row. He says he wants to work for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs when he graduates.

"I've definitely progressed and become of a more mature individual," Jones said. "I've definitely come into my adulthood, you know?

"That person that stole that car is not the same person that's talking to you right now."

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin.