Suffolk County police arrested three men on Friday after they were caught stripping a car in the driveway of a Deer Park home, police said.
Detectives were investigating recent thefts of cars, rims and tires in several areas of the county when during their surveillance they saw three men dismantling a Honda Civic that had been stolen earlier in the day, police said.
Police arrested two Bay Shore men, Cristian Rodriguez, 18, and Robin Mena, 18, as well as Manuel Ortega, 26, of Providence, Rhode Island.
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Rodriguez was charged with four counts of third-degree grand larceny, three counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, and seven counts of third-degree auto stripping. Mena was charged with three counts of third-degree grand larceny, two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, and five counts of third-degree auto stripping. Ortega was charged with third-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
All three were scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday.
