Topics : CRIME : Slick Work by Officer Leads to 2 Arrests for Auto Theft

A Pomona police officer followed a trail of oil from a stripped car to a house where two men were arrested on suspicion of operating an auto theft ring.

Officer Paul Capraro was driving near the 600 block of S. East End early Tuesday when he observed a Buick Regal in a spot where cars are seldom parked, Sgt. Elias Valdez said.

When Capraro examined the car, he found it was missing its transmission, engine and seats, and had been wiped down with an oily substance to obscure fingerprints, Valdez said. After checking on the license plate, Capraro discovered that the car had been reported stolen from Chino.

Capraro noticed a trail of oil leading to a nearby residence, where he found two more stolen cars that were in the process of being stripped and two men, one with grease on his hands. A hood from a stolen car that had previously been recovered also was found on the property, Valdez said, as well as numerous parts from other vehicles reported stolen.

Arrested were Damien Gonzalez, 25, who lived at the house, and Raul Gonzalez, 35, whose house is on the same block. Police do not believe the two men are related.

Police believe that the location was used to dismantle stolen cars and distribute the parts for profit.

“At this point, we don’t know how large the operation was,” Valdez said. He said that three or four auto dismantling operations are in the area and that police will be investigating whether the men sold any of the parts to the auto shops.