El Paso police officers arrested three men on suspicion of stealing 20 vehicles from a West Side car rental business, authorities said.
Aaron Banda, 25, David Saenz, 43, and Edward William Duckworth, 29, were arrested in connection with the theft of 20 vehicles from a car rental business at 7214 North Mesa St. on Dec. 2, El Paso Police Department officials said. The three men are from El Paso.
Banda and Saenz are charged with two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Banda is also facing one count of possession of a controlled substance, while Saenz is charged with an additional count of theft of property with two previous convictions. Duckworth is charged with two counts of theft of property.
The men were booked Dec. 4 in El Paso County Jail. They remained jailed as of Friday, Dec. 13, jail records show. Banda is being held on a bond totaling $16,500, Saenz on a $50,000 bond, and Duckworth on a $20,000 bond.
No attorneys are listed for the men in court records.
The estimated total cost of the 20 vehicles stolen is about $675,000, officials said.
Police recover 15 of 20 stolen vehicles in El Paso, Juárez
Officers responded to a report of a burglary of a building at the rental car business and discovered the vehicle theft occurred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 2.
An investigation revealed 20 vehicles were stolen from the property. El Paso Police Department’s Auto Theft Task Force officers found 10 vehicles throughout the city within three hours of the theft being reported, officials said.
Banda and Saenz were arrested Dec. 3 in connection with the vehicle thefts. Officers also located two additional stolen vehicles, officials said.
Officers identified Duckworth as being in possession of the cars, and he was taken into custody, officials said.
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The investigation also lead to officers tracking several of the stolen vehicles in Juárez, officials said. Officers requested assistance from Mexican authorities, who identified two additional suspects, a 33-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man. The suspects were taken into custody by Mexico law enforcement. The names of the suspects have not been released.
Officers were able to recover 15 of the stolen vehicles within two days. Five vehicles remain unaccounted for, officials said.
The recovered vehicles are a 2024 Ford Edge, 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2023 Chrysler Pacifica, 2023 Dodge Charger, 2024 Toyota Camry, 2024 Mazda C90A, 2024 Mazda 3, 2023 Chevrolet Malibu, 2023 Hyundai Tucson, 2023 Chrysler Pacifica, 2024 Dodge Hornet, 2022 Toyota 4Runner, 2023 GMC Acadia MT, 2024 Toyota RAV4, and 2023 Chrysler Pacifica.
The missing vehicles are a 2024 Nissan Altima, 2023 Nissan Altima, 2025 Toyota Camry, 2023 Chrysler Pacifica, and 2021 Volkswagen Jetta.
Police are asking anyone with information on the vehicle thefts to call 915-832-4400, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
2024-12-15 15:01:17
