SD County District Attorney's Office announces 50 Grand Jury indictments

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego County District Attorney's Office announced 50 Grand Jury indictments on Thursday, August 31, as a result of Operation Sunrise, a nearly one-year undercover operation, conducted by the Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT).

According to a press release from the San Diego County Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT), the defendants face various felony charges including insurance fraud; vehicle theft; sales of cocaine, Fentanyl and methamphetamine; felons in possession of firearms; sale of firearms, ammunition, high-capacity magazines; grand theft; and possession of stolen property, burglary, and crimes of identity theft.

Per the release, Deputy District Attorneys presented evidence to a Grand Jury over a two week period. The District Attorney's Office presented 100 separate cases for Operation Sunrise with 78 suspects identified. More than one hundred witnesses testified. Arrest warrants were issued on August 29 and law enforcement throughout the San Diego County and one in Los Angeles County, conducted a sweep to arrest the defendants on August 30, the release reads.

"Operation Sunrise was launched in September 2022 and yielded (172) stolen vehicles worth an estimated $ 3.3 million, fourteen firearms, Fentanyl, Methamphetamine and Cocaine were also seized and auto theft crime rings throughout San Diego County were dismantled," the release reads.

"Using various law enforcement resources, undercover operatives were able to identify and infiltrate various criminal organizations within San Diego County," the release reads. "Once infiltrated, the criminals met at an undisclosed undercover storefront location in the eastern sector of San Diego County to conduct transactions for illegal contraband. While at the storefront, the suspects were captured on video, selling undercover detectives stolen vehicles, firearms, ammunition, and narcotics."

In 2022, 198,538 vehicles were stolen statewide, at an estimated total value of $1.76 billion, according to the release. This is a 1.9% increase from the 2021 total for vehicle thefts statewide. The average rate of vehicle thefts in 2022 was approximately one (1) vehicle every (3) minutes. Approximately 53% of all vehicle thefts occurred in Southern California. San Diego County ranked as the third highest County for vehicle theft in 2022.

"On Wednesday, August 30, 2023, officers from various law enforcement agencies located and arrested 31 indicted individuals as a result of this operation," the release reads. "There are 19 suspects that remain outstanding with arrest warrants. Operation Sunrise will continue as the remaining individuals are located and taken into custody."

Information Sources:

California Department of Justice, Stolen Vehicle SystemCalifornia Highway PatrolFederal Bureau of Investigation's uniform crime Reporting Program