Stolen Antiques Discovered At Chop Shop, 2 Arrested

Police found guns, auto parts, and of all things…expensive stolen antiques.

It happened in Fresno, at a home near Herndon and Highway 99.

Two people are in custody.

CBS 47's Lemor Abrams has more on with what went down.

Police found room after room loaded with stolen stuff, auto parts stripped from new cars, and $25,000 worth of antiques, stolen days earlier from a Fresno antique shop.

“We set up a deal here at North Garfield…out here in the country. As we set it up to buy the antiques he was selling-we showed up and served a search warrant,” said Fresno Police Sgt. Tim Tietjen. 

Fresno Police's Burglary Task Force initially went for the antiques, but say a man and woman were also running a fencing operation and chop shop.

“He was actively involved in having people bring the vehicles out to him but he was also active in burglaries inside city where he was participating in stealing the antiques from some of these stores,” said Sgt. Tietjen. 

And the suspects aren't going down easy. Police accuse them of burning down the antique shop a couple days after burglarizing it. 

“After they got what thought they wanted Saturday, they actually burned the business… arson,” said Sgt. Tietjen.

The antique dealer showed up to take back his collection.

Police are looking for other victims. 

“We’re sure we're going to find other victims...we're doing more follow reports,” said Sgt. Tietjen.