Staff Reports
Local law enforcement raided an alleged chop shop in Hawthorne on Thursday.
According to a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) release, an investigation on a stolen vehicle from the SW 40th Boulevard/Archer Road hotel corridor on Wednesday led a GPD detective to a residence in Hawthorne.
The detective discovered stolen property that was allegedly being used as a chop stop for high-end Dodge and Jeep vehicles.
On Thursday morning, GPD detectives with assistance from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) detectives and the ACSO SWAT Team, served a search warrant.
Nine stolen vehicles in various stages of disassembly and various auto parts were located on the property. The vehicles were determined to be stolen. The vehicle thefts were reported from throughout Florida with some as long as a year ago.
GPD and ASCO detectives, along with Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and insurance investigators, processed the evidence on scene.
Humberto Russia Toledo, 34, was arrested and charged by both ACSO and GPD for multiple felonies and was booked into the Alachua County Jail.
