A group of 16 alleged car thieves who worked with \u201cspeed and stealth\u201d to steal cars and parts across the Bronx and citywide have now been charged in a 971-count indictment, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced April 30.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The accused group \u2014allegedly affiliated with the Trinitarios street gang\u2014 stole vehicles and parts in nearly every Bronx precinct, as well as in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Suffolk County, Nassau County and Connecticut, affecting at least 252 vehicle owners. <\/p>\n
In total, they are accused of stealing 700 separate vehicle parts and 15 vehicles over a 21-month period, Clark said during the press conference.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Sixteen people, including 12 Bronxites, were charged in the massive indictment. Twelve of the accused have already been arrested, and investigators are \u201chot on the trail of the other four,\u201d Tisch said.<\/p>\n
At the press conference, Clark and Tisch played surveillace footage that showed how the suspects carried out their enterprise.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
They allegedly worked in small teams to steal cars and drive around and take tires, rims and catalytic converters off of other vehicles, using jacks and power tools. They finished each job within minutes, leaving the disabled vehicles propped up on milk crates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I saw some of this [on video], it was like I was looking at the \u2018F1\u2019 movie,\u201d Clark said, referring to the 2025 Brad Pitt race car film.\n<\/p>\n
These suspects worked in the middle of the night, dressed in black and wearing masks, targeting not expensive vehicles but \u201cordinary, everyday cars,\u201d such as Honda and Toyota sedans and SUVs, which are more in demand on the resale market, according to Tisch.<\/p>\n
The group conducted many as six heists per night and stole more than $1 million worth of vehicles and parts, Clark said. \u201cYou can see how methodical they were in doing the work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Clark said she was grateful no one was injured in the crime ring, she said the victims were everyday Bronxites, likely of modest means, who suffered not only the inconvenience of losing a vehicle and dealing with the investigation but also the loss of their sense of safety in their own neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are right to be outraged that a theft of something you lawfully and rightfully owned has been taken from you. Things that you work hard for every single day,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Overall, Tisch said auto theft in the Bronx is down 22% this year, the largest reduction in the city. But last year, the Bronx was the only borough to see an increase from the year prior.<\/p>\n
The indicted group was a \u201chighly organized crew\u201d working in a \u201csystematic, methodical and calculated\u201d way, Tisch said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Throughout the yearlong investigation, police also seized from the group an imitation pistol, 100 rounds of ammunition and approximately $116,000 in cash found in a suitcase, according to Tisch.<\/p>\n
Six of the 12 apprehended suspects are now out of custody on supervised release or electronic monitoring. Clark said each of the accused could face 8 to 15 years in prison if convicted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese criminals had a detailed plan for what to steal, how to steal it, and when to steal it. And once the property was stolen, they knew exactly what to do with it,\u201d Tisch said.<\/p>\n
Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n