Durham man charged with operating 'chop shop' after 18 stolen cars found

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Durham man is facing more than a dozen charges in connection with a "chop shop" investigation.

Police were initially called to the area just before 5:45 p.m. on Saturday for reports of a stolen vehicle in the 3200 block of Angier Avenue.

When officers got there, they discovered the chop shop operation where 18 stolen vehicles had been disassembled.

Officers also recovered additional stolen property

Durham Police investigators arrested and charged 40-year-old Ciro Manuel Perla-Lopez with 18 counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, two counts of possession of stolen property, and one count of operation of a chop shop.

He was being held in the Durham County Jail.

DPD said the cars had been stolen from across the Triangle between 2023 and this year.

This remains an ongoing investigation. Anyone with any additional information is asked to call Investigator B. Crabtree at (919) 560-4440 ext. 29342 or submit a CrimeStoppers tip online or call (919) 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.

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