Chop Shop Busted During Winchester Burglary Investigation: Sheriff

WINCHESTER, CA — Deputies who responded to an alarm call in Winchester this week helped uncover a chop shop operation in the unincorporated community, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The investigation began at 7:20 a.m. Monday when deputies went to the 27000 block of California Avenue to check out a residential alarm call. At the same time, a woman who lived at the home called dispatch and provided a suspect vehicle description.

Deputies spotted the vehicle nearby and pulled it over. Two Winchester men, Randall Ulmer, 32, and Larry Anderson, 50, were detained after deputies found the victim’s credit cards and other personal property, according to the sheriff's department.

As the investigation unfurled, a search warrant was served in the 34000 block of Marvin Hull Road in Winchester where an "apparent chop shop” was discovered, the department reported.

Numerous stolen vehicles and vehicle parts, along with numerous stolen items belonging to the California Avenue victim, were found at the site, according to the sheriff's department.

A total of nine stolen vehicles with an estimated value of over $160,000 were recovered from the property, the agency said.

Ulmer and Anderson were arrested and booked into county jail on suspicion of multiple felony charges.

Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to call Investigator Rooker at Riverside County sheriff’s dispatch, 951-776-1099, or the Perris Sheriff's Station at 951-210-1000.