"We've made now six arrests this week and we've identified this crew and have been looking for the chop shop that's been chopping up a lot of these vehicles," said Sgt. Timothy Tietjen with the Fresno Police Department.
Police say they found it when 51-year-old Cleo Wrley, wanted for auto theft, pulled into this residential driveway in a stolen vehicle, apparently unaware he had been trailed by undercover cops. He was arrested, becoming the latest part of a disturbing new chop shop pattern.
"This is the new trend, they are going to put them in a regular garage. Neighbors were hearing chopping and sawing during the nighttime," said Tietjen.
Concerned neighbors say the homeowner, who escaped out a back door, has been exploiting their otherwise quiet neighborhood. Exposing their kids to a criminal underworld police say is guilty of much more than car theft.
"We believe that a driving factor here is methamphetamine. It appears to be that there are people using drugs and selling drugs out of the house as well," said Tietjen.