16 people charged in auto theft ring across New York City
Prosecutors say the group stole cars and auto parts, targeting hundreds of vehicles and are charged in a 971-count indictment.
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Investigators say a group of 16 people is accused of running an auto theft ring targeting the Bronx and other parts of the city.
Prosecutors say the group stole cars and auto parts, targeting hundreds of vehicles and are charged in a 971-count indictment.
"They allegedly worked fast like a race car pit crew in the dead of night," says Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark.
Investigators say 252 car owners were victimized in the scheme.
The defendants are said to be alleged affiliates of the Trinitarios gang and ran an auto theft ring that stole more than $1 million in auto parts.
Clark says that the defendants allegedly stole car parts from almost every precinct in the Bronx.
"Then in the morning, people rushed out of the door to drive to school or to work or both, only to find the frame of their car resting on milk crates,"
The DA's office says the suspects would find their targets late at night, wearing all black, bringing tools like gloves, drills, and milk crates. Once they successfully completed the crime, they would move to their next target.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says these defendants were no strangers to this kind of operation.
"These criminals had a detailed plan for what to steal, how to steal it, and when to steal it. And once the property was stolen, they knew exactly what to do with it. It was a system that was as brazen as it was effective," says Tisch.
Tisch said 12 of the 16 defendants were arrested and charged. She says the investigation is continuing.
