Seven people have been indicted in connection with an auto theft ring that specialized in stealing high-priced motor vehicle rims and tires off of vehicles parked in lots and driveways in the Denver metropolitan area, the Denver district attorney’s office announced today.
According to a grand jury indictment made public today, the ring operated for eight months and stole vehicles, rims and tires in Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Westminister, Northglenn, Commerce City and Thornton.
The alleged mastermind of the ring was identified as Jose Banuelos, 20, who is accused of racketeering, theft by receiving, and multiple counts of conspiracy.
The indictment said that between March 1 and Nov. 30, Banuelos rented a home with a detached two-car garage at 4861 Decatur St. On Sept. 6, Denver authorities executed a search warrant at the home and garage and recovered 82 rims and tires as well as car jacks, crowbars, wrenches, and lug nut tools.
The indictment was the result of a five month investigation by the Denver district attorney’s office and the Denver police department, said Lynn Kimbrough, spokesperson for Denver district attorney Mitch Morrissey.
The grand jury said that the “common goal” of the ring was to locate and steal Dodge trucks and sports utility vehicles and then use the vehicles to search for and steal expensive, high-priced motor vehicle rims off of vehicles.
The indictment said that once a target vehicle was located, members of the enterprise would remove the rims and tires from the vehicle and leave the vehicle sitting on terra cotta landscaping bricks.
“The terra cotta bricks were placed on their side when the front tires and rims were removed. The terra cotta bricks were placed upright when back tires and rims were removed,” the grand jury said.
Once the tires and rims were removed, they were taken to Jose Banuelos’ residence on Decatur or another residence occupied at 4860 Fillmore St. The tires and rims were then sold to enterprise members Manuel Paez-Bautista, 24, and Jose Francisco Gael Arteaga-Muro, 24.
During the eight months of the operation, Banuelos and Juan Banuelos, 24, were the primary suppliers of the high-priced tires and rims which they sold for profit, the grand jury said.
Those profits, the indictment added, were used by members of the gang to buy automobiles, consumer electronics, other household items, sound amplification and video equipment, and used for daily living expenses.
During the investigation, a Denver undercover officer who was watching the group had to flee for his life when he was spotted.
The grand jury identified the undercover officer as Detective Joseph Hamel.
According to the indictment, on Sept. 6 Hamel followed a stolen silver Dodge Ram to a gas station at West 50th Avenue and Federal Boulevard, where he began videotaping the occupants as they got gas. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Ernesto Robles, 18, who was indicted by the grand jury for vehicular eluding, first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, attempted second-degree assault and multiple counts of conspiracy.
The grand jury alleged that Robles began following Hamel, repeatedly trying to ram him and attempting to seize his videotaping equipment.
On Interstate 25, Robles in fact rammed the rear end of Hamel’s vehicle.
The grand jury said that Hamel was in continuous contact with other police officers. A high-speed chase involving other police units lasted about 20 minutes before Robles crashed in the 6600 block of York Street in Commerce City.
The indictment said Robles and others with him tried to flee in a second vehicle that arrived seconds after the crash but that police blocked that attempt. Four members of the enterprise were arrested.
Inside the silver Dodge Ram, police found several landscaping bricks as well as burglary tools that included pry bars, flashlights, a car jack and two tire irons.
Other members indicted were identified as Manuel Paez-Bautista, 24, Luis Mendoza, 18, and Juan Delacruz, 28. Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
