ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A 54-year-old serial car thief was arrested Monday by the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force in connection with the armed carjacking of a 1965 Ford Shelby Cobra on June 6 in St. Augustine.
The replica vintage sports car was taken at gunpoint during a test drive and was found intact days later less than a mile from where it was stolen.
Kevin Jay Rellah was identified as a person of interest in connection with the carjacking, and he was found and arrested Monday morning in the Argyle Forest area by the Fugitive Task Force.
Federal authorities say they had been watching a home in that area for some time and took Rellah into custody without incident. The Clay County Sheriff's Office said Rellah has family in Jacksonville.
Rellah, who has a host of aliases, including Thomas Gambino, has been previously arrested for car thefts in Maryland, New Jersey and Arizona and with possession of a stolen car in Rhode Island. He served 5 years in prison in New Jersey in 1998 and 14 months in Arizona in 2006.
A 24-year-old salesman with Bozard Ford in St. Augustine told St. Johns County Sheriff's Office deputies he was on a test drive with a man who was discussing the purchase of the classic sports car, which was listed for sale at $94,999.
As the two turned off U.S. 1 North and approached Sherry Lane about 3 p.m., the man allegedly pulled a handgun and ordered the salesman to stop and get out of the vehicle, according to St. Johns County deputies.
The salesman called the Sheriff's Office and said the car was last seen heading toward U.S. 1 North.
Several deputies and an air unit searched for the car for several hours, but it was not found. At 7:30 a.m. Monday, a resident reported seeing the car on the side of the road at the end of Stokes Landing Road with the keys on the front seat. That's less than one mile from where it was taken.
Major Crimes Detectives continued the investigation and identified Rellah as a person of interest. The victim was able to positively identify Rellah as the suspect warrant was obtained with a bond of $250,000.