PHOENIX, AZ — Four men were arrested last Friday in connection to an investigation regarding stolen trucks across the Valley.
Court documents say the men were involved in a "stolen vehicle ring that steals high-end trucks from the metropolitan Phoenix area and hires other co-conspirators to drive them to the southern border for profit."
The men allegedly stole 20 trucks from around the Valley, valued at over $1 million. Court documents describe trucks stolen out of several Valley cities, including Waddell, Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert and Glendale.
18-year-old Douglas Zelaya, 19-year-old Luis Brando Rodriguez, 20-year-old Andrew Nathan Reyes, and 34-year-old Jorge Aguilar were arrested in connection to the thefts.
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Court documents claim that Aguilar would scout and facilitate the thefts to sell them in Mexico for approximately $8,000 each. Documents also allege that he would provide the means to mask the identity of the stolen vehicles with fake temporary license plates.
Investigators found that the men were using an electronic device to make keys in order to unlock and operate the vehicles.
Authorities had conducted surveillance on the four men, according to court documents.
One of the trucks being watched by authorities was followed to Gila Bend before it was pulled over by DPS troopers. Documents say the driver confirmed that he had been paid approximately $700 to drive the truck to the border.
One theft described in court documents happened on October 2, when a blue Chevrolet Silverado was stolen in the Waddell area. Video showed two men getting out of a white Chevrolet Camero, with one breaking into the truck as the other had an AK47-style gun pointed at the front door area of the residence. Another surveillance video in the same area showed a white GMC truck being stolen in the same area, with a white Camero following it.
MCSO confirmed that the two incidents were related.
ABC15 spoke to a man whose truck was stolen in Waddell in early October, who provided a video showing a man pointing a gun at his front door while another man broke into the truck. We are working to confirm that this is the same incident described in court documents.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office filed fraud charges against all four men. The filing states that the scheme took place between February 24 and November 1, 2024.
