An elderly couple have been arrested after police discovered an alleged chop shop, a buried car and other suspected stolen vehicles at a property in Wickenburg, Arizona.
Officers from the Wickenburg Police Department found the underground vehicle, three cars described as non-drivable and a large quantity of vehicle parts while executing a search warrant on Painted Wagon Trail in the Whispering Ranch area.
The investigation began after a traffic stop involving a stolen vehicle and continued for about a month. Police said an anonymous tip then led investigators to the property, where they later found another stolen truck.
According to investigators, the couple allegedly dismantled vehicles and sold the parts to a scrapyard in the Phoenix area, receiving about $500 for each vehicle.
Lieutenant Aaron Hadley said officers identified the location of the buried car after noticing freshly graded earth and tractor tracks leading away from the area.
“The information on the buried vehicle we could tell because it was newly graded, so you could tell where it was smoothed, and then tractor tyres had left the area, so we knew where to dig,” he said.
The couple are expected to be booked into Maricopa County Jail. The allegations include operating a chop shop, trafficking stolen vehicles and possessing drugs for personal use.
