60 indicted in San Diego County after undercover auto theft operation
Sixty people have been indicted in an eight-month undercover auto theft operation in San Diego County, during which authorities recovered not just stolen cars, but drugs, guns and body armor, local law enforcement officials announced Thursday.
The undertaking, dubbed “Operation Kill Switch,” turned up more than 70 stolen vehicles, including U-Haul trucks. The vehicles had a combined value of about $1.1 million.
From February to September, undercover officers bought stolen or illegal items from more than 90 people. A grand jury heard evidence and handed up indictments for 60 defendants, District Attorney Summer Stephan said at a news conference in San Diego.
“These people made it their business to steal cars,” she said.
Although the region had seen a drop in car thefts, they climbed back up over the last two years. According to authorities, some 13,188 vehicles were reported stolen in the county in 2012. Two years later, that number was down to 10,383.
Read more: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/sd-me-auto-theft-20171116-story.html
