3 Stolen Cars Linked to Theft Ring

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies said Friday that three stolen Porsche 911s found at a North Hollywood apartment complex are linked to an alleged auto dismantling ring broken up in Saticoy earlier this week.

The cars and other Porsche parts--worth more than $75,000--were found Thursday afternoon when sheriff’s deputies, joined by California Highway Patrol officers and agents from the National Automobile Theft Bureau, served a search warrant at the apartment, Sheriff’s Detective Kevin Marple said.

The apartment was rented to John Hughes, one of several names used by a man arrested at a Saticoy storage complex Wednesday. He is suspected of being the mastermind of what may be an international auto theft ring, Detective John Mimms said.

Deputies searching Hughes’ apartment also found vehicle identification numbers cards indicating that 15 to 20 other Porsches may have been dismantled, Marple said.

One of the three Porsches found Thursday had been reported stolen last week, Mimms said.

Hughes is being held in the Ventura County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail--up from the $5,000 he was originally held on--and is scheduled to be arraigned on grand theft charges Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.