Orange County sheriff’s investigation leads to seizure of $4.3 million in catalytic converters

A three-month long investigation into an alleged catalytic converter theft ring in Southern California led to the discovery of about $4.3 million worth of the auto parts after detectives served search warrants this week, authorities said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies served the warrants on Friday, Sept. 3, in response to thefts that occurred in multiple cities in north Orange County, sheriff’s officials said in a Saturday statement.

Law enforcement officials announced the arrest of five men and seized two firearms and than more than $105,000, in addition to the recovered catalytic converters, officials said.

“This serves as a reminder to stay vigilant, park in well-lit areas or inside a garage, and invest in anti-theft devices or find a service provider to etch identifying information on car parts,” the department said in a statement.

The suspects were arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy to commit a crime, officials said.

Those arrested were:

• Jorge Alberto Delgadillo, 35, of Maywood,
• Julio Moreno Reyes, 40, of Los Angeles,
• Gilberto Valdovino, 27, of Los Angeles,
• Brayan CruzDeLeon, 20, of Los Angeles and,
• Hugo SaenzMarin, 24, of Compton.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau, Los Angeles County Fire/ Haz-Mat Investigations, California Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations, California Department of Insurance Investigation and City of Irvine Code Enforcement assisted in the service of the search warrants, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The thefts primarily occurred in north Orange County and Los Angeles County, officials said.