Probe of Auto Thefts Leads to Arrest of 3

Amonth-long investigation into a Simi Valley car theft ring has resulted in the arrests of three men who sold parts of stolen Porsches that were stripped in a residential garage, police said Wednesday.

Arrested Tuesday were Earl James, 28, of Simi Valley; Mark James, 27, of Canoga Park, and Arturo Betanzos, 19, of Glendale, Simi Valley Police Sgt. Ron Lompart said. They were in custody on suspicion of grand theft auto.

Lompart said he did not know if Earl and Mark James are related.

The investigation, which began in early April, involved officers from the Simi Valley and Los Angeles police departments and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lompart said.

Police arrested the men after staking out Earl James’ residence in the 2100 block of Bromfield Street, Lompart said.

James was arrested after he drove away in a pickup truck that contained stolen auto parts, police said. The other two were arrested later inside James’ house.

Officers serving a search warrant later discovered two partially stripped Porsches in James’ garage, Lompart said. A third Porsche was found inside a rented truck parked in front of the house, he said. The cars, all stolen in Los Angeles County, are worth about $100,000, he said.

Lompart said Earl James bought the Porsches at “top dollar” from auto thieves and drove them to his garage, where he stripped them.