Investigators Arrest 6 in Thefts of Auto Parts

An undercover investigation has led to the arrests of six people suspected of stealing expensive automobile parts from a Van Nuys manufacturer, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.

Sgt. Don Kitchen said the arrests followed a six-week investigation that began when officials of Superior Industries told police that they suspected they had a serious internal theft problem. Those arrested included four employees of the auto parts company, Kitchen said.

Police and company executives said they would not know how much equipment has been stolen until audits are completed.

The theft ring apparently specialized in supplying black-market dealers with expensive wheels and other products used on General Motors, Ford and Chrysler automobiles, according to Officer Dan Carnahan, who headed the investigation for the LAPD’s elite Cobra Corps undercover squad.

$15,000 Purchase

Police made the arrests after infiltrating the group and setting up a $15,000 purchase Tuesday evening in North Hollywood of 12 sets of wheels used on Chevrolet Corvettes, Kitchen said. The man who delivered the wheels was arrested when the deal was completed and the five others were arrested at their homes Tuesday evening, police said.

Carnahan said that the theft ring apparently was headed by a Los Angeles truck driver who worked for a freight company that transported the car parts from the loading dock of Superior Industries to automobile manufacturers in Southern California. While picking up legal shipments, the driver would also cart away stolen parts with the help of some of Superior Industries’ loading dock workers, Carnahan said. These would then be sold to “to anyone on the street who wanted them,” he said.

The truck driver, Cosme Rivas, 34, agreed to sell $20,000 worth of wheels every week to undercover officers, Carnahan said.

“I just told him that I was interested in buying wheels,” an undercover officer said. “He was completely wide open. . . . He said I could get all I wanted.”

Rivas was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grand theft and was released on $1,500 bail, Kitchen said.

Employees Identified

Police identified the four Superior Industries’ employees arrested as Rudolfo Castillo, 27, of Pacoima; Emilio Gomez, 25, of North Hollywood, Jose Pasoz, 46, of Pacoima and Juan Gutierrez, 27, of Lake View Terrace. Also arrested was Martin del Campo, 29, of San Fernando, identified by police as a black-market dealer in stolen goods.

All five were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grand theft. Castillo and Del Campo were being held Wednesday at Van Nuys Jail in lieu of $1,500 bail. The others were released on $1,500 bail.

Police said they expect to arrest more company workers later this week.

George Musson, director of industrial relations for Superior Industries, said the company became suspicious in May when officials of the freight company, which police would not name, said one of its drivers was selling Superior’s products on the side.

“We’re taking this very seriously,” Musson said. “We’re still investigating to see how extensive this operation was.”

Superior Industries is a major manufacturer of seat belts, exhaust pipes and other automobile parts.

The company recently has been fighting a unionization drive by the United Auto Workers, but Kitchen said there was “absolutely no connection” between the thefts and employees’ attempts to join the UAW.