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Judge Has no Mercy on Taco Bell Carjacker H.E.A.T Tip Leads to 50-75 Year Sentence of Quintas Smith

1 July 1997

Judge Has no Mercy on Taco Bell Carjacker H.E.A.T Tip Leads to 50-75 Year Sentence of Quintas Smith

    DETROIT, July 1 -- Wayne County Circuit Court Judge John
Gillis Jr. delivered a clear message to violent criminals when he sentenced
28-year-old Quintas Smith of Inkster to 50-75 years for the brutal May 1996
Dearborn Heights Taco Bell carjacking and shooting of a 16-year-old Redford
Township boy.  The sentence came after a jury found Smith guilty of assault
with intent to commit murder, armed robbery, carjacking and felony firearm
possession after less than a half-hour of deliberation.
    Smith's capture and conviction was a direct result of a tip called into
911 and H.E.A.T. (Help Eliminate Auto Thefts), an eleven-year-old auto theft
prevention program that offers cash rewards to anonymous callers.  The H.E.A.T
caller in this case was awarded $2,000 for his quick response and community
involvement.  "If it wasn't for H.E.A.T we wouldn't have had a lead in this
case," said Sgt. Gary Tomkiewicz of the Dearborn Heights Police.  "H.E.A.T is
an asset to this community."
    The Quintas Smith case is the third in a string of high profile cases
broke open by H.E.A.T tips.  Daniel Marcum recently received a 25-75 year
sentence for the vicious carjacking and shooting of Adam Trudeau.  H.E.A.T
tips also led to the subsequent life sentences of two perpetrators in the 1995
carjacking and murder of Jason Guzik, a 25-year-old Sterling Heights
biochemist.
    Anyone with information on an auto theft, carjacking, insurance fraud or
chop shop is urged to call the H.E.A.T tip line (1-800-242-HEAT).  Since its
inception in 1985, H.E.A.T has recovered 2,264 vehicles valued at $24,467,994.
During that period, the H.E.A.T tip line has received 5,028 calls leading to
the arrest of 1,880 suspects.  H.E.A.T has awarded $1,659,890 to tip callers
since 1985.

SOURCE  H.E.A.T.