The Chop Shop Next Door

FORT WORTH – One person has been arrested and several stolen vehicles recovered by investigators with the Tarrant Regional Auto Crimes Task Force after being called to a house in the 3900 block of Lebow St. in Fort Worth. 31-year-old Samson Flores was arrested for warrants as well as a theft charge pertaining to the stolen cars found at the residence. Fort Worth patrol officers were called after a repossession company called believing their reported stolen vehicle may be at the residence. They also seized several major vehicle component parts (doors, hoods, fenders, truck beds, etc.) that were later determined to have been stripped from three additional stolen vehicles. The recovered stolen vehicles and property had been reported by various victims in Fort Worth, White Settlement and unincorporated Tarrant County.

“A popular misconception is that ‘chop shops’ only operate at repair shops or auto-related businesses under the guise of doing legitimate work,” says Sgt. Matt Pedersen, Enforcement Team Leader for the Task Force. “You don’t need a storefront to dismantle cars and turn them for profit.” Task Force investigators are often contacted by concerned citizens, code enforcement officers and patrol officers who live or work in neighborhoods and suspect chop shop activity. Locations where different vehicles routinely come and go, people work on vehicles at all hours of the day and night or where it appears vehicles are being stripped and dismantled should raise suspicion. “Some vehicles are worth more in parts and thieves feel that it is harder for law enforcement to detect,” says Sgt. Pedersen. “These residences become nuisance properties for neighbors and city officials, so it is imperative that we work with community members in identifying these places, rooting them out and cleaning them up. Car theft rates are down 3% in Tarrant County this year, but we are seeing more back yard chop shops.”