Fencing operation discovered at Santa Cruz gas station

Santa Cruz Police discovered a fencing operation at the 76 Gas Station on Mission Street and Walnut Avenue. A fencer is someone who knowingly re-sells stolen items. They act as a middleman between thieves and the buyer, who probably doesn’t know they’re buying a stolen item.

In this case, the station manager and an employee are suspected of fencing thousands of dollars worth of stolen items.

On Friday January 16, someone called the Santa Cruz Police Department saying he believed he had located his stolen iPad by activating the “Find my iPhone” app. The app traced it to the 76 Gas Station.

An officer responded to the gas station and told the victim to sound the alarm on the iPad when he was inside. The store manager and an employee tried to ignore the alarm. The stolen iPad was located inside a bag on the counter, with another iPad.

The officer then searched the station manager’s car and found more stolen items. The officer also found stolen goods in the employee’s car.

The investigation culminated when officers discovered a backroom at the business that had even more stolen items. There were high-end bicycles and construction tools inside.

The manager is Felipe Chavez, 46, from San Jose. He’s the domestic partner of the business owner. Detectives searched their home in San Jose and seized 19 bicycles, jewelry and electronics.

The store employee is Angel Guzman, 19, from Watsonville.

Detectives have returned some of the stolen property to their rightful owners — at least $10,000 worth. They believe the items were stolen during home and car break-ins. Detectives believe the stolen items were traded, resold at the gas station, and/or possibly sold at flea markets in the Bay Area.

Chavez was arrested for receiving and possession of stolen property. Guzman was arrested for conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of stolen property.