Mesa thief used tow truck to steal several cars around the East Valley, police say – 12news.com KPNX
Courtroom data current Josue Cora De La Rosa was arrested this month for allegedly stealing a quantity of automotives by buying pretend permits and ordering tow vans To maneuver them.
MESA, Ariz. — An alleged automotive thief is suspected of buying dozens Of pretend permits from the Arizona Division of Transportation So as to get tow vans to haul away stolen automobiles throughout Mesa.
Courtroom data current Josue David Cora De La Rosa, 37, was arrested this month on suspicion of stealing A minimal of seven automobiles all by way of the East Valley.
Based mostly on a report written by the Mesa Police Division, investigators acquired reviews for 15 comparable circumstances of automotive theft occurring Inside The metropolis between July and October.
In every event, police said the suspect would fraudulently acquire A quick lived 3-day registration permit on-line, print it out, then name native junkyards Making an try To buy used automobiles.
De La Rosa allegedly informed Mesa police the tow truck driver would pay him As a lot as $1,000 to take the automotive and scrap it for parts.
“Not Definitely one of the stolen property was recovered and is believed to have been destroyed,” Mesa police wrote in a report.
In some circumstances, victims interrupted the suspect as he was Attempting to haul away their automotive and sautomotiveed him off, court data current.
The defendant allegedly admitted to stealing A minimal of seven automotives. He informed investigators he would drive round Mesa Looking for automotives to steal. As quickly as he found one, De La Rosa would allegedly copy down its car identification quantity, which was later used To buy A quick lived permit.
Three-day permits are typinamey used for unregistered automotives that Want to be taken in for inspections, repairs, or emissions testing, in accordance to the state’s internet website.
A lot of the car thefts Occurred between Nation Membership Drive and the Loop 101 freeway. Police estimated the suspect allegedly stole Greater than $20,000 worth of property from the victims.
De La Rosa was recently indicted in Maricopa County Superior Courtroom on a quantity of counts of fraud and car theft.
Mesa police said its investigation is ongoing and detectives are nonetheless working to decipher if One other suspects have been involved Inside the fraud.
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