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Five arrested after stolen vehicle report reveals Salinas chop shop location

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April 14, 2025 6:38 PM
Published 11:06 AM

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Five people were arrested after a stolen vehicle report led to the location of a chop shop in Salinas on Sunday.

According to the Salinas Police Department, a victim reported that their white Mustang had been stolen the other day.

A Salinas PD Community Service Officer started investigating and found the car had been taken to an undisclosed location near Spence Road after two suspects stated they had lost the keys to the Mustang. The suspects also paid the tow driver via Venmo.

The reported stolen Ford Mustang that was stripped for parts led to the discovery of a chop shop in Salinas. Courtesy: Salinas Police Department

As Salinas PD and the Violence Suppression Taskforce (VSTF) entered the found location, they discovered the Mustang was being stripped for parts right next to another stolen car, a white Infiniti G35.

All five suspects inside the chop shop were arrested facing multiple charges including possession of a stolen vehicle and operating a chop shop.

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Sergio Berrueta

Sergio Berrueta has been in the news for quite awhile going from studying print media to entering the realm of broadcast.

Originally from Bell Gardens, California, in Southeast Los Angeles. Berrueta started his professional news career in Eureka as a newscast producer for North Coast News (now The Northstate’s News) at KAEF ABC 23 in 2022. He pivoted a year later in 2022 going from behind-the-scenes to in front of the camera as a multimedia journalist for Redwood News Channel 3 (KIEM/KVIQ) also in Eureka.

Berrueta studied journalism at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) earning his Bachelor’s Degree. Berrueta was a staff writer, page editor, social media manager and editor-in-chief of the university’s El Lenador, the only bilingual publication in all of Humboldt County.

Before moving to the North Coast, Berrueta had earned his Associate’s Degree at East Los Angeles College in 2019 after beginning his educational journey in 2012. He also was on staff for the ELAC’s publication, ELAC Campus News, having been a staff writer, page editor, and online editor.

Outside of news experience, Berrueta has also been in education as an AmeriCorps tutor in East Hollywood from 2017 to 2019 and served in a government role as a National Hometown Fellow for Lead for America with the City of Arcata in 2021.

When not focusing on news, Berrueta is an avid amateur cinephile having written about films in free time. He also writes poetry, attempting to get through a backlog of video games, enjoys visiting new places along the California Coast, and trying to keep up with the latest music and podcasts.

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