At about 9am Tuesday, Turlock Police and the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force arrived at a residence in the 0 block of Soderstrom Lane to serve a search warrant.
This search was the result of several months of investigation led by Officer Lupe, a dedicated patrol officer with a strong focus on auto theft.
During the search, investigators located several stolen vehicle parts, including high-value engines, transmissions, and a 1970s Camaro with a stolen engine installed. A total of six stolen engine components and various other parts associated with auto theft were recovered.
Armando Aguilar, 24 of Turlock, was detained at the scene, and further investigation identified his father, Fernando Aguilar, 50 of Turlock, as an active participant in the operation.
Armando and Fernando were both arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on six counts of receiving a stolen vehicle and operating a chop shop. Armando was also charged with possession of burglary tools.
“This operation reflects Officer Lupe’s commitment and hard work in tackling auto theft, along with the coordinated efforts of StanCATT and Turlock PD’s SIU and Detectives,” said Public Affairs Analyst Sanchez. “The significant amount of stolen property recovered highlights the seriousness of this ongoing issue.”
Lupe was awarded his first 10851 pin by the California Highway Patrol back in July. The statewide award program, the 10851 Award, is co-sponsored by the American Automobile Association (AAA) and named after the California Vehicle Code section for auto theft, 10851. The award is given to uniformed California peace officers who, during a 12-month period, make six separate stolen vehicle recoveries cleared by arrests, or recover 12 stolen vehicles, of which at least three must be cleared by arrests.
“This program supports law enforcement agencies in their ongoing efforts of reducing vehicle theft throughout the state,” said now-retired CHP Commissioner Farrow. “Of the 171,036 vehicles stolen in California in 2013, 89 percent were successfully recovered for an estimated value of more than $1 billion. The determination and commitment of the CHP and its allied agencies is part of the reason for the high recovery rate.”
An officer may be recognized up to 25 times, at which point they receive a gold lifetime achievement pin.
“We are proud to be involved in this program because it recognizes the hard work done by law enforcement throughout California,” said David White of AAA. “Recovering stolen vehicles, and catching those responsible, helps to keep our communities safer.”
Great work, Officer Lupe!
