Inside an auto theft sting

The police are now working against the clock. 

The five-month long sting may have been a success, but the arrest plan was a failure:  not one suspect showed up at the local club where they were supposed to be arrested.

Were the suspects tipped off?  The cops need a backup plan and fast. So they decide to make the busts the hard way—one by one.

Tio, undercover police: We had no time to lose and we had to make some quick decisions as to what we were gonna do.  And we had to act on ‘em. 

The next morning, the police decide to fan out across the area, track the suspects down and start making arrests.

Right away, they get lucky— a suspect calls the undercover cop to sell him a stolen car. The cop offers to give him a ride right into a trap.

Two patrolmen are told to pull them over and tell the suspect there is a warrant for his arrest. He’s purposefully vague so the thief doesn’t know it has anything to do with the warehouse deals.

The patrolmen know the undercover cop is still in character so he frisks him and the real thief. It works and the arrest goes smoothly.

They are looking for more than 20 suspects. Some of them are lounging at home when the police arrive. 

As the day wears on, the officers are pleased with the tally. One by one the thieves are picked up—they are told for a variety of crimes. None of them know yet it’s because they sold stolen cars at the warehouse.

Next, they spot another suspect at a gas station and arrest him.

Another suspect is leaving on a bicycle when police approach.

In all, 18 suspects are now in custody.  It turns out the cops fears about their own informant  having turned on them were unfounded.

He called them to explain why nobody showed up at the party the night before.

Tio: They had become very suspicious. They thought they were being watched.  And—

Reuben: Paranoid.

Tio: Paranoid. Basically had retreated from coming to the party.

Victoria Corderi, Dateline correspondent: But they didn’t connect that with you?

Informant: No, even at that point I don’t believe they did. They just knew there was heat out there.

Finally, the suspects  are in custody.

And now the moment of truth.  Because time has come to let them in on the real reason they were all arrested and let them know Dateline has been taping the entire thing.

MORE FROM DATELINE

Dateline Section Front

The Friday the 13th Mystery Mystery at Lost Dog Road Slideshow: Photos in the Bob Duke case When The Smoke Clears   Sneak peek: When The Smoke Clears Slideshow: The Christie Fleming murder Transcript: Dan Brown and Secrets Of The Lost Symbol Through The Pouring Rain In Plain Sight: Jaycee Dugard Timeline: Jaycee Dugard's kidnapping Dateline Section Front   Add Dateline headlines to your news reader: