The Alameda County Sheriffs Office announced the arrest of six suspects out of Oakland in connection with a Bay Area wide catalytic converter theft operation.
According to authorities, the Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Taskforce (ACRATT) initiated its investigation of a Bay Area-wide catalytic converter theft operation in mid-2022.
The investigation concluded earlier this month when ACRATT investigators identified two locations in Oakland responsible for fencing the stolen catalytic converters in a well-organized catalytic converter fencing operation. Search warrants were served on both sites, and approximately 240 stolen catalytic converters, one stolen vehicle, stolen property, three firearms, two of which were stolen, and roughly $260,000 in cash were recovered.
Investigators arrested six people, all from Oakland:
- 39-year-old Jorge Perez Garcia
- 41-year-old Nelson Alvarado Herrera
- 38-year-old Oscar Alvarado Herrera
- 31-year-old Luis Monterroso-Veliz
- 44-year-old Pedro Maravilla
- 42-year-old Santos Contreras
Authorities arrested the six on multiple charges of possession of stolen property, criminal conspiracy, and tampering with a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
The investigation and execution of search warrants was a collective effort of the Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Taskforce, the Alameda County Narcotics Taskforce, and the Oakland Police Department. (Other agencies that assisted in this effort include the CHP Golden Gate Division Investigative Services Unit, CHP Computer Crimes Investigation Unit, Alameda Police Department, Dublin Police Department, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau).
The Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Taskforce is a Multi-Agency Taskforce comprised of the California Highway Patrol, the Alameda County Sherriff’s Office, the Oakland Police Department, and the Alameda County Probation Department.
Information provided by Alameda County Sheriffs Office
