3 Men Accused Of Running $1M Car Theft Ring

LOS ANGELES (AP) — State prosecutors have charged three men with running a million-dollar car theft ring in Southern California.

The attorney general's office claims the men used phony DMV documents and stolen driver's license and Social Security numbers to remove the liens and gain title to two dozen cars in order to sell them. Prosecutors say the men ran a smog-check shop and a phony registration business in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles.

The three were charged with conspiracy, theft and forgery last week. One alleged ringleader, Martin Vasquez, was arraigned Thursday. Luis Marroquin of Huntington Park and Kirsio Cruz of Norco were arraigned last week.

The attorney general's office says Vasquez and Marroquin remain jailed and Cruz is free on bail.

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