Posted on 05/30/2022 3:17:18 PM PDT by algore
A prolific car thief was sentenced to ten years in prison and had his driver's license revoked for life after he stole and stripped more than 100 vehicles with the help of his DMV worker girlfriend.
Israel Fonseca, 39, would steal the cars, gut them for parts - taking everything from GPS systems to guns stored in glove compartments - and abandon them throughout the streets of Oregon's Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion and Clark counties.
He targeted vehicles in movie theatre parking lots, outside malls or parked by the Moda Center sports arena in Portland.
Owners would return to the parking lot after their events only to find their car missing or, in some instances, propped up on cinderblocks, The Oregonian reported.
His girlfriend, Valerie Applegate, 40, allegedly helped Fonseca with his schemes by running license plates and vehicles identification numbers on cars that caught his interest through the DMV database. She would also look up owner information and provide it to her boyfriend.
Fonseca, nearly two weeks ago, pleaded guilty to more than three dozens charges related to the scheme. The deal essentially spared Applegate from jail time.
The DMV worker, who was faired in September 2020 after working for the agency for more than 10 years, pleaded guilty to bribery and other charges. She was sentenced to one night in jail and three years probation, as well as ordered to complete 160 hours of community service.
Police claim he would rent a pickup truck, pull up alongside his target and remove the rims one-by-one with power tools.
He would then sell the stolen car parts and other valuables on OfferUp. Authorities allege Fonseca would take any items of apparent value, noting that once he even stole a service dog that was inside a truck.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
GF should have gotten the 10 years, he should be hung until dead.
It was not so long ago that a horse thief could be hanged
https://truewestmagazine.com/anti-horse-thief-association/
I knew the guy who was in charge of my State Patrol Auto theft task force.
This was the legislatures lowest priority and some years they would have to lay off or transfer all the officers assigned to this.
He is retired now, but nothing has changed and we currently have more cars stolen every week than the number of people who have died from Covid in our state since the "pandemic" began
“He targeted vehicles in movie theatre parking lots, outside malls or parked by the Moda Center sports arena in Portland.
Owners would return to the parking lot after their events only to find their car missing or, in some instances, propped up on cinderblocks, The Oregonian reported.
His girlfriend, Valerie Applegate, 40, allegedly helped Fonseca with his schemes by running license plates and vehicles identification numbers on cars that caught his interest through the DMV database. She would also look up owner information and provide it to her boyfriend.”
Interesting. The girlfriend helping him must have had more information than what they’re disclosing, since he was stripping/stealing the cars in specific places. How did he know that the cars were in those locations when he did his work?
Do NOT Date
“...and had his driver’s license revoked for life ...”
Heh, just pretend he’s an illegal and drive license and insurance free forever and ever.
GF no doubt should be facing heavy time.
His sentence is too light.
If not a death penalty on the table, then breaking big rocks into little ones for the rest of his life.
I keep the vehicles in the garage, esp overnight. That garage door is never open without someone around.
My neighbors are always outside walking dogs, playing with their kids, or working on their yards. Plus cameras all over.
I did some work for deficiency/repo management for GMAC a long time ago.
Hypothetically if I liked your car or rims, I could run a dmv check on your plate and get all the information on your drivers license. All you need is an account with the state.
He did not need the GF.
Most DMV sell all this info to third party providers which will sell it to anyone who has a credit card.
Most people have a semi-fixed routine so a little surveillance can go a long way.
this was a long time ago before ALR became common.
Possibly you can get nearly realtime data today, I know I could get that from the credit card providers pretty easily back in the day
Good idea. It's weird to me how many people have garages and don't use them. Or leave their garage doors open all hours. It's such a simple thing to put your car in the garage and shut the door.
Should be executed.
My neighbor still leaves his garage door open a lot.
At least one time some stuff walked away. I guess it didn’t register.
I do a check outside and make double sure the garage door is down.
Fonseca, nearly two weeks ago, pleaded guilty to more than three dozens charges related to the scheme. The deal essentially spared Applegate from jail time.
—
Forget white privilege. Government employee privilege is where it’s at.
I spent a couple of days in Salem (Marion Co.) in 2013 which may have been before he started. I was doing genealogical research--I guess the state archive was not one of the places he frequented, and the rental car I had was not one of the models he preferred to strip.
It says that the DMV worker was “faired.” What does that mean in Brit-speak?
Yep. I do that during the day and last thing at night. One of my neighbors who parks at the curb each night rather than in his (empty) garage, had it spray painted once. Still parks it at the curb.
My supposed HOA states cars should be in garages or driveways.
Our are since it’s only two vehicles.
I’m concerned about catalytic converter and fuel theives.
It says that the DMV worker was “faired.” What does that mean in Brit-speak?
https://wikidiff.com/faired/fared
Derived terms
* afare * farer * farewell * seafaring * spacefaring * warfare * wayfarer * welfare
Do not look - ugly fat and dishonest 🤪
I think it might be a typo for “fired”. Though Brits would say “sacked”, wouldn’t they?
I tend to agree. Stealing a car is the modern-day equivalent of stealing a horse.
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