Two arrested in Highway 17 chop shop bust

A Watsonville man and a Santa Cruz County residents were arrested for possession of stolen property and operation of a ‘chop shop’ following the discovery of the chop shop Tuesday morning along Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Morgan Macleod, 32, of Watsonville and Ryan Sepulveda, 30, of Santa Cruz County, were also arrested a drug related offense.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said Sepulveda, was arrested after he was found hiding in a trailer at the chop shop in the 25000 block of Highway 17.

During their search, deputies said they found seven stolen cars, including a 1979 Mazda race car, and trailers on the vacant property. They also said its unusual to find that many in one spot.

“People don’t look at my car and say ‘how much Bob? Let me write you a check,” said Salinas resident Bob Bradfield, the owner of the 1979 Mazda race car.

Bradfield said he’s attached to his car and all the memories that come along with it.

“I have had it for 15 years. So I’ve raced it all around Laguna Seca, Sierra’s Point, Thunder Hill, up to Washington and Mid-Ohio,” Bradfield said.

On April 8, his car, nicked named “Clownie” for its color and design, went missing at a repair shop up in Santa Cruz. Several days later, the Santa Cruz Police Department posted a message on social media, asking for information about the stolen car and trailer. Bradfield said he’d been wondering why someone would steal his car.

“It’s a one off weirdo from the 70’s, kids don’t want it,” Bradfield said.

Apparently, someone did want the car. Tuesday morning, a property manager found some unwanted guests on a vacant lot along Highway 17. Two trucks, a car, and four RV’s, all known to have been stolen from various locations in Santa Cruz County. It also appeared people had been living on the property, with their laundry hanging, and snacks on the table.

“We found one person who was hiding in one of the RV’s, we detained him, and as it turned out, all vehicles there were all stolen,” said Sergeant Chris Clark.

One of them could be Bradfield’s “Clownie.”

“Everybody has an emotional attachment that you can’t quantify what it means to have something it’s been with you for that long with you, now gone,” Bradfield said.

That is Bradfield’s only race car. For now, he says he will stick with bicycles. The Sheriff’s Office is now working to return the cars to their owners.

The race car was attached to a trailer which contained around $35,000 worth of tools.