Overview
- Carlsbad police and the San Diego County Regional Auto Theft Task Force arrested three suspects after a coordinated surveillance operation that targeted a suspected stolen Jeep.
- The June 4 surveillance led to a southbound Interstate 5 pursuit in which driver Jesus Lupian lost control and rolled the vehicle in Chula Vista before being taken into custody after medical evaluation.
- Officers then stopped and arrested two more suspects, identified as Omar Quezada and Antonio Sanchez, and booked all three on suspicion of vehicle theft, conspiracy to commit vehicle theft, and possession of burglary tools while Lupian also faces felony evading.
- Investigators say at least a dozen newer-model Jeeps have been stolen in Carlsbad since August 2025 and that stolen vehicles in the pattern were frequently driven into Mexico, where authorities say VIN alteration and resale have been used to disguise origins.
- The case underscores growing reliance on Automated License Plate Reader technology and multiagency task forces to connect scattered thefts across jurisdictions and to intercept vehicles before they cross the border.