Tucson scrap dealers arrested

Four people who work at a Tucson, Arizona, scrap yard were arrested after police say they accepted stolen cars and other questionable materials, police said.

Marco Acuna, Hector Fuentes, Salvador Hernandez-Perez, and Cesar Tovar, employees at Sims Metal Management, were arrested. Sims is cooperating with police in the investigation.

The men are facing one felony count each of operating a chop shop.

Tucson police, along with federal and state law enforcement officials, raided Sims Metal Management, 1525 W. Miracle Mile, after a long-term investigation where Tucson police say they sold 11 stolen cars, damaged safes, ATMs and wire in the past three months without the items being properly inspected by workers.

Authorities found stolen vehicles on the property during its investigation, Sgt. Matt Ronstadt said.

Three of the vehicles were reported stolen to the Tucson Police Department and the other two were reported as stolen to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Ronstadt said. Tucson police are still investigating and more charges could be pending.