Vehicle theft and VIN tampering arrest – Community members beware of stolen vehicle online resale scams

On June 12, 2023, at approximately 9:00 P.M., Oxnard police officers responded to the 1800 Block of North Ventura Road in reference to suspicious circumstances related to the attempted sale of a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado. The victim had contacted and arranged the purchase of the vehicle through the online application called OfferUp.

The vehicle was being sold for significantly less than its actual worth and was set up as a cash-only sale. The buyer became suspicious and suspected the vehicle might be stolen. Oxnard police officers arrived on scene and detained the suspect, who was identified as Ever Garcia-Caballero.

Investigators from the Oxnard Police Department and the Ventura County Auto Theft Task Force (VenCATT) responded to assist with the investigation. After careful examination of the truck, Investigators identified the vehicle as a stolen Chevrolet pickup truck out of the City of Fontana.

Caballero was arrested for vehicle theft and VIN tampering-related charges and was booked into the Ventura County Jail. His bail was set at $300,000.00.

The Ventura County Auto Theft Task Force (VenCATT) and its allied agency partners have seen an uptick in stolen vehicles being sold on various social media marketplace sites throughout Ventura County. These websites include Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist. In analyzing this trend, the stolen vehicles being offered for sale are 2015-2021 General Motors SUVs and pickup trucks, to include Chevrolet Silverados and Tahoes and GMC Sierras and Yukons. VenCATT and its allied agency partners have seized multiple stolen vehicles linked to this trend.

Some were fortunately intercepted prior to their sale to innocent purchasers. Many of the vehicles seized in conjunction with this trend had their identification numbers altered to disguise the vehicle as being stolen. In addition, the social media marketplace ads selling these vehicles are usually written in Spanish, and the vehicles are being offered for as low as half the price of the current market value.

Prospective buyers are strongly urged to exercise due diligence when purchasing used vehicles, and if the price is “too good to be true,” it probably is. To provide an added layer of protection, request the sales transaction to be conducted at your local DMV to certify documentation.  Additionally, the National Insurance Crime Bureau offers a free website to assist buyers in checking vehicle identification numbers (VINs) during transactions https://www.nicb.org/vincheck

As always, members of the public can report suspicious vehicle-related activity to VenCATT at (805) 662-2640.

Anyone with information regarding this case or other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600 or online via the Oxnard Police Department’s website:  www.oxnardpd.org, and clicking on “Report Suspicious Activity.” You can remain anonymous if you choose to do so. You can also provide information regarding this case or other criminal activity and remain anonymous by calling the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit this site: www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email. Booking photographs for adult felony arrest are available on the department website:  www.oxnardpd.org under crime & safety and booking/call logs.