SANTA ANA - Five men from Orange County and Los Angeles was arraigned Wed at North Justice Center in Fullerton for the charges of stealing over 50 Toyota Tacoma trucks in Orange county and Los Angeles. They have been also charged with unlawfully taking of vehicles and grand theft.
The five men arrested are: Jorge Fernandez, 22; Luis Rico Humberto, 26; and Ignacio Mendez, 25, of Anaheim; Gabino Perez, 35, of Orange; and Marco Mendoza, 21 of Los Angeles..
The men started the thefts in January 2008 when they stole trucks and cars in Los Angeles and then sold them in Orange County in Anaheim, Fullerton, Orange, Santa Ana and Tustin.
Later on, the men started to steal trucks in Orange County, from Anaheim, Orange and Placentia, and sold them to Los Angeles.
In 2008, a total of 199,766 vehicles were stolen in California with an estimate value of $1.35 billion..
