Fresno police officers testify against former officer on trial for stolen car

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A former fellow officer in possession of a stolen car and Fresno police investigators said the details are fishy. Tuesday they revealed how they believe he got the vehicle. The officer has already been fired.

Security was tight outside of department 60 at the Fresno County courthouse as several investigators arrived for former Fresno police officer Alfred Campos' preliminary hearing. The 40-year-old, charged with having a stolen vehicle. Tuesday, his former colleagues testified about the evidence they found that backs up their case. One officer spoke about surveillance video from a Foods CO station.

"I watched that video, I recognized the vehicle as the one I just saw at Michael's Chevrolet being the stolen vehicle in that case. And observed the driver of that vehicle pump gas and go to the teller and I recognized him as being Alfred Campos," said Rick Harrell, Fresno Police Department.

Prosecutors said Campos bought the stolen vehicle out of Virginia from an associate who admitted to authorities he worked with the officer to steal the Chevy truck and bring it to Fresno.

But Campos denied knowing the car was stolen.

In court, attorneys showed pictures of what they called a fake VIN number-- a sticker pasted over where the real vin should have been. A move to hide the fact that the car was stolen.

Investigators said they were first called to Michael's Chevrolet back in 2014 after employees there ran the VIN and saw it didn't match up with the description of the car. Detectives said most officers, including Campos who also ran an auto shop on the side, would see the VIN is fake.

"That's not how a VIN is made. On the VIN plates, they're stamped into it. It should be a straight edge, not a series of dots to create the number itself," said Anthony Alvarado, Fresno Police Department.

Then there's the title of the car. Another obviously fabricated document said detectives.

"Well, you probably have at least two different fonts, three different sizes," said Det. Phelps, Fresno Police Department.

The 15-year veteran with the Fresno Police Department is also facing a perjury charge for putting down a much lower price on the fake title in order to avoid paying higher taxes on the car.

The hearing is expected to last at least four days. At the end, the judge will decide what exact charges Campos will face.