APD: Bait car leads to chop shop

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque Police are putting a new spin on an old tactic.

APD Property Crimes Lieutenant Scott Lopez told News 13 they are now letting some thieves get away with bait cars.

"Instead of getting all the small fish that are stealing the cars, we want to get the higher-ups in the organization that are ordering the cars up and locate more stolen cars as a result of our bait car program," Lieutenant Lopez said.

On Tuesday they tried out their new tactic in the South Valley parking the bait vehicle on a residential street near Bridge and Old Coors Southwest.

"An individual entered the bait car and drove it into his yard, before officers could respond he had already started to dismantle parts of the bait car," said Lopez.

Officers say the man behind the wheel was Eloy Silva, 43.

According to APD Silva drove the vehicle about 50 feet from the street onto his property and it was all caught on camera.

In the video you can actually see Silva using a hammer to try and crack open a tool box.

Eventually he is able to get into it but police showed up shortly after and they found a lot more than their stolen vehicle.

"They noticed remnants of other vehicles that led them to believe this is possibly a small scale chop shop," Lopez said.

On the property Lopez said they saw one other truck, and two other items that looked like a front end and an engine.

As of late Wednesday night Lopez said they found two confirmed stolen vehicles on the property that had already been chopped.

Silva was arrested on auto theft and auto burglary charges.