SAN ANTONIO – A 24-year-old man and teenage boy are facing felony charges after deputies recovered a stolen SUV at a notorious chop shop in Southeast Bexar County.
Alfred Lujan Hernandez, and the boy, 16, were arrested Sunday afternoon and charged on suspicion of attempted theft between $30,000 to $150,000 and theft between $2,500 to $30,000.
Recommended Videos
The arrests of Hernandez and the teen come less than two weeks after a woman spotted her vehicle at a property in the 5700 block of Higdon Road, which has been under the spotlight in an ongoing investigation by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
According to an arrest affidavit, the woman's Chevrolet Tahoe was stolen around 7:54 a.m. on April 29 from a parking lot in the 5400 block of South Flores Street.
Two days later, the woman received an anonymous message on Facebook that led her to track her SUV at the Higdon Road property and call police, the affidavit said.
After receiving the woman's report, a detective obtained surveillance footage that captures a blue Ram pickup truck, with a black hood, pull into a parking space next to the Tahoe. The two suspects along with another man, are seen getting out from the truck, the detective said.
The video captures the man breaking into the Tahoe and starting it, and Hernandez getting into the driver's seat and driving off. The teen boy drove off in the truck with the man in the passenger seat, according to the affidavit.
A detective said they had "made contact" with the three suspects in the past and were able to identify them.
After recovering the woman's Tahoe, BCSO said 13 other stolen vehicles were found at the property, and four handguns and two rifles were seized.
The value of the stolen vehicles is estimated to be $80,000, according to BCSO.
The discovery led to the re-arrest of Dawn Reeves, 47, who was taken into custody in February on suspicion that she played a role in the suspected chop shop operation at the property.
RELATED: Woman re-arrested in chop shop operation
On Feb. 1, deputies recovered 20 stolen vehicles, valued more than $270,000, from the same property. Reeves and Amy Jeffcoat, 32, were arrested and charged in connection with the case.
While Hernandez and the teen have been arrested, BCSO said the other suspect has not yet been taken into custody.
According to online records, Hernandez has previous arrests on suspicion of burglary, theft, unlawful carry of a weapon, and retaliation. His bail has been set at $6,000.