Authorities have successfully taken down one of the largest auto theft rings in the history of North Texas.
Authorities have arrested seven men who are believed to be operating a multi-million dollar international operation involving hundreds of stolen vehicles in the DFW area.
In March, North Texas authorities carried out several SWAT raids in Garland and Dallas, resulting in the seizure of multiple stolen luxury vehicles.
Grapevine Police have reported the arrest of seven men who were caught during an investigation that began in November. The investigation was launched after examining security camera footage of a car theft that occurred in the parking lot of Grapevine Mills Mall.
“The vehicle was spotted by our crime analyst, who recognized it as the one used in another crime,” recounted Amanda McNew, an officer with the Grapevine Police Department. She further added, “After extensive investigations, the team was able to pinpoint a suspect vehicle, and from there, the case unraveled rapidly. The police found substantial visual and physical evidence from a single theft, which led to the successful identification of this crew as the culprits behind the theft of $5-10 million worth of vehicles from Grapevine City alone.”
According to McNew, the group has been linked to at least 200 vehicles, as well as numerous other incidents of vehicle theft, including those that occurred outside of Grapevine.
According to McNew, the suspects were traced to several other locations including Euless, Irving, Dallas, Grand Prairie, Addison, and Garland through the use of advanced tracking technology and license plate readers. It was only after one of the suspects was identified that the authorities were able to make these connections.
The group focuses on targeting vehicles that fall under the following categories:
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- Chevrolet Camaro
- Dodge Challenger
- Dodge Charger
- Jeep Cherokee
- Chevrolet Corvette
Days before a SWAT team raided his Garland home, Jose Ramon Perez is said to have posted photos on social media of high-end stolen vehicles from inside his garage. The authorities had previously received evidence suggesting that Perez may be keeping a tiger at his residence.
Upon investigation, law enforcement officials were unable to locate the reported tiger, however, they were able to seize two luxurious stolen cars, GPS tracking devices, and a firearm.
The search warrant revealed the discovery of advanced gadgets capable of reprogramming key fobs of stolen cars.
According to court documents, Perez and his accomplices are being charged with reselling the stolen vehicles to unsuspecting buyers. The operation even attempted to transport stolen vehicles to Mexico and other states in the US.
It is anticipated by authorities that the case will be taken to the federal level.
During a recent raid at a residence in Dallas, authorities uncovered additional evidence linking the suspects to a string of over 40 auto thefts in the city since the start of the year.
It is possible that the arrests have already made a difference in the fight against a challenging type of crime.
McNew shared, “Our agency in Grapevine witnessed a significant drop in auto thefts in the month following the arrests.”
According to Grapevine Police, a few individuals from this group had escalated to violence, and they were apprehended with active warrants for aggravated robberies in Richardson and Dallas.
All of them face charges of participating in organized criminal activity, which is categorized as a first-degree felony.
