Vehicle Fire Leads To Recovery Of Stolen Vehicle

A vehicle fire led to the recovery of a stolen vehicle. The Cocke Country Sheriff’s office says they were called to a vehicle fire Sunday around 5:20 pm on Highway 73. They found a 2002 white Subaru Outback on fire with two people who had gotten out safely. the car had a Tennessee Government tag which had been reported stolen out of Cocke County. The car’s driver, George Trent, stated he had purchased the vehicle approximately 6 months ago for $20,000 from James “Jim” Norris, whom deputies were familiar with due to his history involving stolen and altered vehicles. Trent said he had a motor put in the car, and recently started driving it. Deputies did a VIN verification once the fire was extinguished. The VIN came back to a Subaru Outback that had been stolen in Sevier County. Trent was charged with vehicle theft. At the time of the report, James Norris had not been charged.