A bold thief, moving with remarkable speed, managed to swipe over 250 auto parts and vehicles across the Bronx and other areas of New York City, according to prosecutors on Thursday.
The Bronx District Attorney’s Office has charged at least 16 individuals, aged between 18 and 36, amassing a staggering 971 counts for stealing and selling auto parts worth more than $1 million during a crime wave that ran from August 2024 to June 2025.
Prosecutors revealed that a group of 14 masked suspects was captured on surveillance cameras multiple times. They were seen using a car jack and a milk crate to exit stolen vehicles.
The suspects are thought to be linked to the Trinitarios street gang and are said to have used power tools to quickly remove tires and rims, often in the early hours of the morning between midnight and 5 AM.
“These defendants acted with the precision of a racetrack pit crew, allegedly making off with more than $1 million in cars, tires, rims, catalytic converters, and other items on the black market,” District Attorney Darcel Clark stated.
“Throughout the Bronx, individuals heading to work or school discovered their vehicles propped up on crates or missing entirely, leaving them in difficult situations,” Clark added.
In total, the thefts included 11 cars, 172 tires and rims, and 69 catalytic converters, affecting various locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, according to Clark.
The stolen vehicles were then used to dismantle other cars, contributing to a total of 252 cars involved in this extensive theft network.
Two suspects allegedly bought stolen catalytic converters that were then sold illegally, with one buyer caught hiding $116,000 in cash in a suitcase during a home search, prosecutors claimed.
The total value of the stolen items is reported to be around $1.2 million.
“These thieves were not only daring but also extremely effective,” noted New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch during a press conference on Thursday.
She mentioned that her department receives over 200 complaints each month regarding stolen auto parts.
“It wasn’t arbitrary,” she pointed out, highlighting that Honda and Toyota cars were often targeted.
“Their methods were systematic,” she added.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney stated that many of the accused have a history of crime in the city and some have connections to the Dominican Republic, though he did not clarify their immigration statuses.
The suspects face a range of charges, including possession of stolen property, grand larceny, carjacking, criminal mischief, and unauthorized vehicle use.
The District Attorney’s Office confirmed that eight suspects have been arraigned, while eight others are still awaiting arraignment or have been indicted.
Most of those who appeared in court were granted supervised release.
“This was a large, organized, gang-related group dedicated to stealing cars and parts nightly,” Tisch said.
“I hope there will be real consequences for these actions in our criminal justice system, because frankly, if not, it feels like we have wasted a significant amount of time.”
