Police recover $30K RV in Fresno chop shop

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Even Fresno Police were shocked at what they found at an East Central Fresno home on Wednesday. They say it's not your usual theft.

The suspect is in the Fresno County Jail facing a host of charges and detectives say he can now add theft of an RV to that list.

James Tuck showed us the damage to his $30,000 vacation home on wheels. The owner of Toy Hauler Liquidators says it was stolen off of his lot a few months ago.

Tuck said, "We had it pinned between two trailers and we noticed there was drag marks it appears someone put chains on it and drug it up over the hill."

Whoever stole it knew exactly what they were doing. The heist was solid, and Tuck figured he'd never see the rig again.

"Typically when a trailer gets stolen from an RV dealer it goes into the hills and behind a house somewhere they're usually cooking meth or doing something illegal," explained Tuck.

But then, the Career Criminal Auto Theft Team got a tip. Sgt. Tim Tietjen explained, "It's not your normal thing we come across or deal with on a daily basis."

The tipster told Police the RV was well hidden, behind the home off of Belmont and Sunnyside.

Tietjen added, "They backed it in they covered it with some fencing and were living in it and had personal clothing, a weapon inside."

Officers also found this stolen trailer in which the suspects were "VIN switching," which means they were getting rid of any trace of its former owner. Tietjen says Gabriel Gutierrez was the mastermind behind the scheme, involved in stealing and transforming the RV and making it into his own - even though he didn't own it all.

As for Tuck he's just happy the home on wheels is heading back home where it belongs.

Tuck said, "I can't thank them enough this is the second time they've recovered goods stolen from our store."

Gutierrez is being held in the Fresno County Jail on unrelated charges but he can now add auto theft and a weapons violation to that list.