Local News in Brief : Man Arrested, Charged in ‘Chop Shop’ Case
A Sepulveda man has been arrested after the closing of two auto-body shops that were a front for a San Fernando Valley stolen-car operation, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.
Grish Akopian, 25, was charged Tuesday with receiving stolen property, Lt. Greg Vasquez said. Akopian operated the two shops side by side in the 7600 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, police said. He was released from County Jail on $5,000 bail.
Police raided the shops Friday. Investigators said they discovered two stolen jeeps and several other cars whose ownership was being traced.
Vasquez said the shops operated as a single “chop shop,” where stolen cars were stripped of parts and other cars were assembled with stolen parts.
An investigation of the operation is continuing, Vasquez said.
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