Three of four people allegedly caught operating a vehicle chop shop and an illegal marijuana grow in Jurupa Valley were behind bars Wednesday.
Javier Beltran, 43, of La Puente, Starlette Crystal Castaneda, 40, of Alhambra, and Freddy Oropeza, 24, of Bell Gardens were arrested Monday on suspicion of operating a chop shop, illegal cultivation of marijuana, illicit sales of controlled substances and possession of illegally modified firearms.
Another suspect, 27-year-old Alejandra Deanda Jimenez of Huntington Park, was also taken into custody for alleged conspiracy but was released on her own recognizance.
Beltran, Castaneda and Oropeza are all being held at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside — Beltran and Castaneda in lieu of $150,000 bail, and Oropeza without bail.
According to Sgt. Javier Morando of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were directed to the suspects’ location in the 5000 block of Trail Canyon Drive in the predawn hours Monday after a man whose car had been stolen received a GPS alert that it had been parked at a residence.
Deputies confirmed the car was there and obtained a search warrant, which was served a few hours later, Morando said.
“Three stolen vehicles, one stolen car trailer, firearms, ammunition, over 400 pounds of processed cannabis, one pound of suspected controlled substance … as well as vehicle license plates were located,” the sergeant said.
The four suspects were taken into custody without incident.
It is unknown how long the alleged chop shop had been active.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the sheriff’s Jurupa Valley station at 951-955-2600.