PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Public Safety recovered 29 stolen vehicles along with cash and various weapons thanks to "Operation Escalading Switch."
Members of the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force and other agencies worked together to execute search warrants targeting a large vehicle theft ring throughout the Valley on Tuesday.
DPS says the investigation revealed the theft ring stole high-end vehicles, altered vehicle identification numbers, and listed them on the car-sharing platform Turo within one week of the car being stolen.
Read Turo's full statement below:
"We're grateful to AZDPS, the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force, and Turo’s dedicated Trust and Safety investigators for working together to remove these criminals from Phoenix metro streets.
Unfortunately, this host’s insider access to the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles enabled them to disguise stolen vehicles as legitimate rentals.
We immediately collaborated with investigators to expose the full scheme. Moreover, criminal behavior is extremely rare on our platform and we have zero tolerance for it.
Our Trust and Safety team, many former law enforcement, remains dedicated to keeping our car sharing community safe by removing criminals from our platform and assisting law enforcement with putting culprits behind bars."
DPS says the recovered vehicles are valued at nearly $2.5 million.
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Three suspects, 29-year-old Ali Ahmed, 32-year-old Delia Rocha, and 33-year-old Mario Garcia Rodriguez, were arrested and are all facing multiple felony charges.
“We are committed to protecting Arizona’s communities, and this takedown sends a strong message to those engaged in organized crime,” said Colonel Jeffrey Glover, Director of DPS.
