SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS—Law enforcement officials on Thursday arrested a man suspected of running a “chop shop” high in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Victor Guizar Avalos, 40, was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on charges of operating a chop shop and possessing ammunition. He was not in custody Friday, jail records showed.
According to California Highway Patrol Officer Sam Courtney, the CHP and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office responded to an address on Highland Way north of Ormsby Cutoff to serve a search warrant on a suspected chop shop.
The officers were acting on information of suspicious auto theft activity in the area, Courtney said.
The task-force recovered a total of nine stolen vehicles which included automobiles, a travel trailer and an ATV.
During the initial response, Avalos was not on the property. As the task-force was leaving the area, they saw Avalos walking nearby on Highland Way. He fled on foot, but was arrested a short time later.
