MANCHESTER, Mo. — Four young men are accused of operating a car theft ring in St. Louis County and may be responsible for crimes dating back to May.
Carlos Murrietta, 18, faces three counts of receiving stolen property in Manchester and 19 charges in other jurisdictions, according to a news release from the Manchester Police Department.
In one instance, on Oct. 2, Murrietta and two others used a garage door opener in an unlocked vehicle to open a garage and steal a car in Manchester. Surveillance cameras caught the incident and the officer was able to identify Murrietta, according to charging documents.
Murrietta was also among three suspects who were arrested and charged in connection with a robbery that injured a woman in the parking lot of a Town and Country Schnucks in September.
Jae'von Renfroe, 18, has been charged with tampering and receiving stolen property. According to charging documents, Renfroe used stolen credit cards to purchase $1,487 worth of Apple products from the Target store in Kirkwood in August. The credit cards were stolen from an unlocked car in Manchester.
Norberto Perez, 18, is charged with tampering. He admitted to driving a Mazda that he knew was stolen, according to charging documents. Police were able to track him down because he left a McDonald's receipt inside the Mazda.
Nineteen-year-old Lorenzo Murphy has been charged with burglary, auto theft stealing and fraud. Murphy tried to steal a Tesla that was parked inside a garage in Town and Country, according to charging documents.
Murphy was released on bond. The other men are in custody at the St. Louis County Jail.
Manchester police said it worked with investigators from other St. Louis County police departments to build their cases.
