Arizona's fight against vehicle theft hit a significant milestone earlier this month when state detectives cracked down on a car club suspected of harboring stolen vehicles in Tucson. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, detectives from the Vehicle Theft Task Force discovered three stolen cars behind a house in the northwestern part of the city. Items recovered in the initial discovery included a 2012 Nissan 370z, and a 2015 Dodge Challenger, along with a 2019 Dodge Charger Scat Pack.
During the investigation, the task force put the property under surveillance, uncovering a link between the stolen vehicles and a local car club known for illegal street takeovers in Tucson. The detectives pinpointed several suspects aligned with the vehicles, and the underground racing scene, according to Arizona Department of Public Safety reports. Last Saturday, a stolen Dodge Charger was retrieved from a residence in Marana while it was in the process of being dismembered for parts. When authorities arrived, two suspects, Jiovany Arellano, 21, and Cesar Duran, 31, tried to escape on foot but were swiftly apprehended.
Further efforts by the task force led to more recoveries and arrests. Last Monday, detectives executed a search warrant at the Tucson residence where the stolen vehicles were initially spotted. They not only retrieved the Nissan 370z and the Dodge Challenger from earlier reports but also found a thieved 2006 Cadillac CTS on the premises. In connection with the findings, brothers, Brandon Ortiz-Gonzales, 19, and Brian Ortiz-Gonzales, 22, faced charges, including the operation of a chop shop. Another individual, Camron Patterson, 21, was also charged for his involvement in the vehicle thefts, as reported by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety's Vehicle Theft Task Force is made up of multiple law enforcement agencies including city, county, and state operatives all working towards the shared goal of curbing motor vehicle theft. By the end of their recent sting, Arizona Department of Public Safety states five suspects were arrested, and four stolen vehicles were recovered with an additional nine seized as evidence in this sting. The Vehicle Theft Task Force's ongoing mission, heavily supported by an annual grant from the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority, is to deter crime through proactive enforcement, and awareness programs. For anyone with more information about the vehicle thefts in Tucson, the Vehicle Theft Task Force remains open for tips at [email protected].
