FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
The people who peddle stolen car parts are now setting up shop outside Fresno city limits. But when it comes to chop shops, police say it's not a case of out of sight out of mind.
Sunday afternoon Fresno Police raided a chop shop, out where the corn grows tall west of Fresno. Police Sgt. Tim Tietjen says the three men they arrested, do most of their car stealing in town. "They're trying to find more innovative ways to stay away from us, and it is bringing us out more into the county. But for us wherever they go we're gonna find them. We're gonna catch them and put them in jail."
Sgt. Tietjen says the three men facing theft charges, Larry Shepherd, Robert Saenz and Mark Barnes have a streamlined way of disassembling cars and trucks. He says once they get what they need, they torch the rest to get rid of the evidence. A Chevy pickup they found is a shell of what used to be a nice truck. "Somebody had a beautiful truck. Now it's in pieces."
Fresno P.D.'s "HEAT Team" which focuses exclusively on stolen cars and chop shops also confiscated two shotguns at the county location. Fresno Police say more arrests are pending from Sunday's chop shop raid.
