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(AP) -- Lexington County Sheriff's Department detectives in cooperation with the Pelion Police Department arrested three Pelion men in connection with the theft of 12 all-terrain vehicles

the ATVS were taken from homes near Batesburg-Leesville, Gaston and West Columbia as well as homes in Aiken County.

Ten of the all-terrain vehicles were loaded on a trailer in preparation to take the vehicles to Mexico, where the stolen all-terrain vehicles would be sold.

Detectives arrested David Thurman Holmes, Lazaro Jesus "Junior" Mejia, Jr. and Billy Ray Walters, Jr.  Holmes and Walters each were arrested on one count of second-degree burglary and five counts of grand larceny. Mejia was arrested on seven counts of possessing a stolen motor vehicle.

Holmes was being held on Friday, May 1 at the Lexington County Detention Center on bail totaling $40,000. Mejia was released from the county Detention Center on Monday, April 27 after posting bail totaling $35,000. Walters was being held on Friday at the county Detention Center on bail totaling $45,600.

Detectives determined that Holmes and Walters stole all-terrain vehicles and later sold the vehicles to Mejia. Mejia stored the stolen all-terrain vehicles at his home.

Mejia regularly purchases all-terrain vehicles and transports them to Mexico, where he sells the vehicles.

On April 16, detectives went to Mejia's home and saw in plain view one all-terrain vehicle that matched a vehicle that had been reported stolen to the Sheriff's Department.

Ten of the vehicles were loaded on a trailer as Mejia planned to transport the vehicles to Mexico, where Mejia planned to sell the vehicles.

One of the all-terrain vehicles that detectives found at Mejia's home was a vehicle that had been customized by its owner, with racing numbers and after-market parts installed on the vehicle.

 The custom all-terrain vehicle had been reported stolen on April 15 from a home on S.C. 6 near Gaston.

Other vehicles had been reported stolen from a home on Scenic Drive near West Columbia and a home on Fairview Road near Batesburg-Leesville.

Detectives recovered 12 all-terrain vehicles, including eight that had been reported stolen to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department and four that had been reported stolen to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)