PHILADELPHIA – Authorities in New Jersey have linked members of a multi-state car theft ring to the deadly 2023 shooting of a police Sergent at Philadelphia International Airport.
What we know:
Alex Vargas, 27, and his brother Alexi, 24, are accused of leading a Camden-based auto theft group that is connected to at least 40 stolen vehicles from 2021 to 2024.
The Vargas brothers allegedly identified theft locations, which investigators say primarily targeted “high value vehicles” at car dealerships and airport parking lots.
Officials say one of those vehicle thefts escalated to a deadly shooting involving police inside the parking garage at Philadelphia International Airport in October 2023.
Sergeant Richard Mendez and Officer Raul Ortiz came under fire when they tried to intervene with reports of an attempted auto theft inside the garage.
Sergeant Mendez, 50, was struck multiple times in the torso and died. Officer Ortiz was hit in the arm and was placed in stable condition.
Alexander Bautista-Polanco, Hendrick Pena-Fernandez and Yobranny Martinez-Fernández were charged with the murder of Sergeant Mendez.
Prosecutors in New Jersey on Friday linked the suspects charged in the shooting to the Camden-based car theft ring.
Dig deeper:
Investigators went into detail on Friday about the inner workings of the car theft ring, including how group members stole the vehicles and what they did with them.
The cars were allegedly stolen by breaking the back window with a screwdriver, wrench, or bolt cutters, then using a key re-programmer to drive the car to Camden.
From there, investigators learned that Jimmy Marte-Toledo forged New Jersey temporary vehicle registrations and helped advertise the stolen vehicles for sale.
What they’re saying:
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin called the alleged car theft ring “sophisticated and dangerous.”
“Three of the defendants in this group are charged in Philadelphia for allegedly killing one police officer and assaulting another,” he said. “Taking down this ring is part of our constant efforts to keep the public safe.”
What’s next:
Prosecutors added that the first-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison with a fine up to $200,000.
“Criminals will always find new ways to make an illegal profit, and our office and our law enforcement partners will be there to stop them,” Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L Hilton said.
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