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Man arrested for 'chop shop' in East Valley

Posted at 2:51 PM, May 26, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-26 19:27:45-04

One person has been arrested in connection to an ongoing investigation of stolen vehicles.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested 40-year-old Andrew “Mustang Andy” Reynolds on charges including theft of means of transportation, possession of stolen weapon, drug charges and prohibited possessor.

DPS served three search warrants in Mesa and Tempe on Wednesday and uncovered a “chop shop” at two locations. Weapons were found on the properties along with some drugs.

DPS said Reynolds is the only person that has been arrested, but more arrests are pending.

According to DPS, members of the group involved in the “chop shop” are tied to white supremacist prison gangs.

DPS was investigating Reynolds’ possible involvement in a San Tan Valley murder earlier this month. Curtis Fish was shot and left to die on a San Tan Valley street. Two other people have been arrested for the murder.

“The tragic murder of Curtis Fish in the San Tan Valley earlier this month closes his involvement in the case and gave our detectives some valuable leads to the rest of the group involved in this auto theft ring." said Captain Sean Carney of the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force.