TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Following a shoplifting case in December of 2022, the Tucson Police Department (TPD) says it discovered a fencing ring operating from a chicken storefront located at 4001 N. Oracle Rd.
Last week, three suspects were arrested after search warrants were carried out at the restaurant and two residences simultaneously.
Investigators say their work revealed trafficking-in-stolen property getting resold online and stored at two locations.
Officers were keeping track of consistent activity with a fencing operation in which staff members of the restaurant were paying known shoplifters for stolen items from businesses in the area. Employees then began reselling these stolen items from home, as well as online.
TPD officers then identified two addresses where the stolen property was stored.
On Wednesday, search warrants were served at the restaurant and two homes, one located near South Mission Road and West Calle Guadalajara, and the other located in the 4500 block of South 13th Avenue.
Officers recovered thousands of dollars in stolen property, includingL
- Tools
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Diapers
- Electronics
52-year-old Lydia Grijalva-Velasquez, 61-year-old Fabian Rodriguez Rios and 45-year-old Francis Sophia Vasquez were arrested on charges of trafficking in stolen property.
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Bivian Contreras is a real-time editor for KGUN 9. Bivian graduated from the University of Arizona School of Journalism with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcast and is currently pursuing a degree in Broadcast Operational Meteorology. Share your story ideas and important issues with Bivian by emailing bivian.contreras@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
