FORT WORTH, Texas — A man who was running from police led investigators to the discovery of thousands of dollars worth of stolen vehicles at what officials described as a "chop shop" in north Fort Worth.
Investigators discovered the stolen vehicles -- 15 in total, ranging from cars and trucks to motorcycles and SUVs -- on Feb. 6 at a property in the 2800 block of Northwest 28th Street in Fort Worth.
Police also found two trailers full of stolen tools and construction equipment, along with new rims and tires, and a mechanical bull.
Investigators described the scene as a "chop shop," which is a location where vehicles are disassembled for parts.
The suspects weren't at the location when police arrived, and they remain at large, officials said.
The investigation into the chop shop began a week earlier, on Jan. 28, when a resident reported seeing a man jumping a fence to his neighbor's home. Police responded and learned that the man might have been running from police in a separate incident. Officers tracked him and another suspect down and arrested them on outstanding warrants for traffic tickets.
As police investigated, they linked the two men to a stolen vehicle that had copper wire in it that was reported stolen by AT&T. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the suspects' address to find any more stolen items. When they executed the warrant, officers found the chop shop with the stolen vehicles and tools.
Police said the stolen vehicles have been linked to cases out of Roanoke, Carrollton and Fort Worth. Some were also linked to cases from Tarrant County College and as far away as Mississippi.
