Latest news with #JulianCalderon
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Huge Muscle Car Chop Shop Busted In California
Read the full story on The Auto Wire Police in Fresno, California are celebrating after they busted a muscle car chop shop recently, recovering about $3 million in stolen vehicles. Of course, those rides were in pieces, as you can see from the pictures. And we're sure many more had already been chopped by the people running the Fresno Police Department has reason to celebrate, having arrested seven people who collectively are facing 110 felony charges. This wasn't some small scale operation but instead was responsible for at least processing quite a few stolen muscle cars, if not also stealing them. You can see whole dash assemblies, including steering wheels, all lined up nicely in one of photos police took after making the bust. A number of those steering wheels say SRT and most of the rest have the Dodge logo. It's the same with trunk lids also recovered, with a few bearing the telltale Hellcat logo. The sheer scope of the chop shop's operation is impressive, in a disgusting sort of way. According to Fresno Police Department, these guys were concentrating mostly on Mopar performance models: Chargers, Challengers, Durangos, and Trackhawks. But they also went for some Camaros and Infinitis, we guess to pad that tidy profit line. If your muscle car went missing in the Fresno area, these guys might have been kind enough to chop it up and sell the pieces to people who wanted to save a buck on replacement parts for their ride. Police are asking for the public's help in tracking down two people they saw were associated with the chop shop: 20 year-old Julian Calderon and 22 year-old Jordan Rios. Calderon is facing several criminal charges, including stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime, and possess, manufacture, or distribute an assault weapon. Rios is wanted for possessing, manufacturing, or distributing an assault weapon. We hope to see many more busts like this in the future. Sadly, taking down one car theft ring usually just means others are created or existing ones expand their operations. Images via Fresno Police Department/Facebook Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Car Theft Ring Stole $3 Million in Chargers, Challengers & Other Muscle Cars, Cops Say
A large-scale 'chop shop' auto theft ring in California that specialized in stealing high-performance domestic vehicles, including Chevrolet Camaros and various Dodge Hellcat models, has been shut down, according to the Fresno Police Department. Seven arrests have been made so far, with 110 felony counts levied against them; two additional suspects are still being sought. Over the past six months, the Fresno Police Department's Career Criminal Auto Theft Team (CCATT) has been investigating an auto theft ring responsible for stealing powerful performance cars, the department said in a Facebook post. The investigation eventually led them to a couple of large-scale 'chop shops' located in Huntington Park and Fresno, CA. Police said they identified 75 stolen cars, including Dodge Chargers, Challengers, and Durangos, Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawks, Chevrolet Camaros and unnamed Infiniti models. The vehicles are estimated to be worth more than $3 million in total. Multiple firearms, including illegal short-barrel rifles, were also found. According to a 2023 report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Dodge muscle cars were the most stolen vehicles for the 2020-2022 model years. Theft claims for the Charger Hellcat were more than 60 times more frequent than the average for all 2020-22 models, relative to their numbers on the road. The Hemi-powered Charger and Challenger models have been among the top five most stolen vehicles since 2011. The two outstanding suspects still being sought in connection to this recently busted car theft ring are 20 year-old Julian Calderon and 22 year-old Jordan Rios, police say. Anyone with information regarding auto theft in the Fresno area can call the CCATT tip line at 559-621-CCAT (2228), or email CCATT at ccatt@ You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
