THOUSAND OAKS : Teen-Agers Arrested Over Car Thefts

Three teen-agers have been arrested on suspicion of stealing at least seven cars from two Thousand Oaks dealerships, authorities said.

The youths were putting old license plates from their family cars onto the new cars, then driving and dumping them, Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kitty Hoberg said.

The cars were stolen from display lots at Thousand Oaks Toyota on Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Westoaks Chrysler Dodge on Duesenberg Drive, Hoberg said.

Only five of the seven cars were later recovered, and the vehicles are worth about $86,761, Hoberg said. The teen-agers had been stealing the cars since early this month, she said.

An anonymous caller who said he saw a youth switching license plates tipped investigators, Hoberg said.

A 16-year-old Newbury Park youth and two 17-year-old youths from Agoura Hills were arrested Thursday on suspicion of auto theft, Hoberg said. Their names were not released because of their ages, and they have been released to the custody of their parents.