Tolleson — One man is in custody and a chop shop has been shut down after the Arizona’s Border Strike Force Vehicle Theft Task Force served a search warrant in Tolleson.
On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, the Arizona’s Border Strike Force (ABSF) Vehicle Theft Task Force (VTTF) investigation lead to a search warrant resulting in the recovery of several stolen vehicles, stolen car parts, the arrest of James M. Zavala, and the dismantling of a chop shop.
Zavala, age 46, was booked into the Maricopa County Jail for ten counts of theft of means of transportation and one count of owning/operating a chop shop.
VTTF detectives recovered the following stolen property:
• Five Ford pickup trucks
• 2003 Mercedes sedan
• 2017 Honda motorcycle
• CAT construction truck
• Two box trailers
• Engine
• Miscellaneous vehicle parts
Captain P. Etnire, VTTF Commander, said, “We see stolen vehicles being used to commit other serious crimes. The success of this search warrant resulted from a tip, and so we encourage people to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement or to the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC).”