From Left to Right: Summer Campbell, Amanda Wright, Marvin Wright, Carolyn Wright and Harmon Grimes.

Two men and three women have been arrested in connection with a series of thefts of vehicles that had broken down on the side of the road, police said.

Marvin Wright, 31, was charged with burglary of auto and theft of property, both in violation of his probation; Harmon Grimes, 32, was charged with two counts of theft over $1,000; Amanda Wright, 28, was charged with one count of theft over $500; Carolyn Wright, 25, was charged with two counts of theft over $1,000; and Summer Campbell, 24, was charged with one count of theft over $1,000, records show.

Investigators in the Chattanooga Police Department Auto Theft Division found that several of the stolen vehicles had been crushed and cashed in as scrapped metal, Weary said.

The investigation, which lasted six months, located 12 stolen vehicles, she said.

Wright and Grimes were arrested in October after officers observed them taking a car off the side of Interstate 75 near the East Brainerd Road exit, Weary said, and their arrests led to the warrants against the others.

Police are working with local scrap yards to try to prevent any future crushing of stolen vehicles, Weary said.