Two Arrested in Orange County for Allegedly Trying to Take Stolen Vehicle to Mexico
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“Yesterday afternoon, the Irvine Police Department responded to reports of a stolen vehicle near Michelson Drive and Royce Road. The victim answered a Facebook Marketplace advertisement offering money to transport cash to another location. They drove from Oxnard to meet the suspect in Irvine. When the suspect arrived, he told the victim he needed to borrow their car to pick up the cash. When the suspect did not return, they notified the police.
Based on countywide trends, Detectives anticipated the vehicle was possibly being driven to Mexico. Detectives contacted the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to alert them the vehicle was likely being driven to Mexico. CBP located the vehicle a short time later, approaching the San Ysidro entry point. The vehicle was stopped, and two men were detained. Irvine Police Detectives traveled to the border and took custody of Abel Cortes, 21, and Christopher Hernandez, 20. The men, who are residents of Tijuana, were booked at Orange County Jail for possessing a stolen vehicle.
These cases are not unique to Irvine and have been occurring around Southern California. All the victims were residents of other cities and were lured to Irvine. Most incidents appear to be targeting the Spanish-speaking community.”
