A vehicle is stolen every 31 seconds, according to NHTSA. 60 seconds, according to Nicolas Cage. And a decent number of them in central California over the last six months were taken by a chop shop gang specializing in Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, and Jeep SRT parts that was recently busted up by local police in Fresno.
$3 million in stolen goods. According to a Facebook post, a six-month investigation conducted by the department’s Career Criminal Auto Theft Team (CCATT) identified two California chop shops, one in Fresno and one in Huntington Park, who had sold or were in possession of over $3 million in stolen goods, including 75 vehicles and parts of dozens more. The result was seven arrests and 110 felony counts, so far.
Among the cars and cars in pieces were Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango Hellcats, Chevrolet Camaros, Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawks, and some unfortunate Infinitis. FPD said many of the cars and parts were recovered. The photos of the piles of parts are striking, and as the Fresno PD’s original Facebook post has gone viral, commenters are jumping in to ask if the government is going to auction them off. Don’t hold your breath.
Per an FBI report on motor vehicle theft, from 2019 to 2023, the rate of thefts increased by 42%. The South holds the title for most overall incidents, racking up 40.8% of reports during that five-year span. However, in 2023, the West incurred the highest rate of theft with 390.2 cases for every 100,000 people. The national average that year was 283.5. In terms of location, the feds list 44 categories but the top three are no surprise: personal residence, public road/highway, and parking lot — in that order.
The FPD did not say where or how the alleged crime ring obtained the vehicles, whether locally, in state, or elsewhere. A 2023 report from the California Highway Patrol shows that the majority (51.7%) of the state’s car thefts occur in SoCal, followed by the Bay Area (21.6%), and the Central Valley (11.9%) where Fresno is located.
No further information was released by the FPD regarding the thieving group itself, if a standalone operation or as part of a larger organization. More details will likely come to light, as well as more arrests. As of the report, two suspects currently remain at large.