OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Two people have been arrested and are accused of operating a chop shop that involved selling dozens of cars to unsuspecting victims.
The ESC Auto Sales lot on U.S. 192 in Kissimmee is full of cars for sale. When Tony Harris bought a 2007 Dodge Magnum from the business, he though he got a great deal.
"I want to say two hours after I got of the lot. The car actually left me stranded on Orange Blossom Trail," Harris said.
Harris said the owner of ESC Auto Sales, David Cruz, gave him the run around about vehicle repairs. He eventually took the car to a Dodge dealership, where mechanics discovered the VIN number on the car's computer didn't match the one displayed on the dash board.
Photos: Alleged chop shop warehouse in Lake County
"I feel duped pretty much," Harris said.
Harris' case helped unravel what detectives said was a massive operation run by Cruz and his wife, Jocelyn Cruz. The couple is accused of stealing cars in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. They would allegedly roll back the mileage and cover up any damage.
Authorities said the suspects would also buy cars from owners who had defaulted on their payments and were close to having their cars repossessed. David Cruz then allegedly hid the cars in a warehouse in Lake County until he could obtain fraudulent titles and resell them.
"I just want what's fair to be done. And I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else in the future," Harris said.
Detectives said they found 16 cars at the warehouse and 82 cars at the Osceola County dealership.
Authorities said more arrests could be coming in the case. David and Jocelyn Cruz have bonded out of jail.
WFTV
