Law enforcement agencies from half a dozen counties have been tracking down a wide variety of automobile thefts with ties to an organized theft ring centered in Volusia County, deputies said.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office auto theft unit worked with the other agencies for the past four months and identified the theft ring's leaders, deputies said.
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Deputies said the leaders were identified as Deltona residents Christopher DeFronzo and Matthew Walker.
Deputies said the pair were arrested Friday morning on two warrants each charging them with operating a chop shop.
Investigators are asking for the public's help in identifying and finding additional stolen property.
Deputies said DeFronzo was arrested at his home at 1009 Ireland Drive Friday morning and Walker was arrested a short time later during a traffic stop in Orange City.
Investigators said 27-year-old DeFronzo and 24-year-old Walker planned and organized thefts in Volusia County, Lake County, Seminole County and as far away as Hillsborough County.
Deputies said DeFronzo and Walker personally stole several trucks, wreckers, motorcycles, car haulers, and trailers and sold them for parts or converted them to their own use.
Specific to their Volusia County charges, DeFronzo and Walker are accused of stealing a tow truck in February and then removing its tow bed, lighting equipment and other components.
Some of the removed items were recovered in March in Orange City along with a flat bed trailer stolen from Sanford and a Ford F450 stolen from Lake County.
Yet more parts from the tow truck were discovered in a DeLand automotive repair shop along with a grill from another tow truck stolen from Longwood.
The more investigators followed up on connections to DeFronzo and Walker, the more stolen property they found. A trailer stolen out of Seminole County was found in Deltona, a truck transmission stolen from Sanford and a set of tire and rims stolen from Seminole County were found in DeLand, deputies said.
Deputies said they are looking for additional property that may have been sold to residents without their knowing the items they bought were stolen.