Fountain Valley Police Arrest Suspects Involved in Theft of Cement Mixer and Van
Photo: Richard Moya and Manuel Erenas
Two Santa Ana men have been arrested in relation to thieving a van and using it to steal a $3000 cement mixer from a Fountain Valley construction company.
The cement mixer was reported stolen on June 28, 2020. Fountain Valley police reviewed surveillance video, which showed that it was towed away from the enclosed fenced yard by a van, which had also been stolen from a nearby business.
Detectives discovered that the mixer was posted for sale online. A sting operation was set up to meet the suspects and buy the mixer in the area of Euclid and Fifth Street in Santa Ana. The suspects, identified as 39-year-old Richard Moya and 41-year-old Manuel Erenas, were successfully arrested and booked into Orange County Jail.
A probation search of one of the suspects’ homes, located in the 5200 block of Fifth Street, revealed evidence that Moya had stolen both the van and the cement mixer. Several stolen items, including work tools and a trailer, were also found in the residence.
Both suspects were charged with possession of stolen property. Moya was additionally charged with grand theft and possession of a stolen vehicle, while Erenas was booked for a warrant for a prior vehicle theft.
