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More than a dozen vehicles seized after chop shop bust in Detroit

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DETROIT (WXYZ) — Almost two dozen cars are now in police possession after a chop shop bust on Detroit’s west side.

It happened Friday afternoon on Faust Avenue near Joy Road.

“It was like an auto shop,” resident Willie Jenkins said.

Officers at the 6th Precinct were responding to a tip from someone in the neighborhood.

“The community had a complaint that there was dumping of car parts and it made the neighborhood look bad,” Detroit Police Department Cmdr. Arnold Williams said.

Williams says after officers noticed three cars in a fenced lot off Faust Avenue were stolen, they called in the Commercial Auto theft unit for help.

When they arrived, they confirmed that 14 of the cars, including SUVs, trailers and an RV, were stolen. Seven other vehicles were impounded. Those cars are being investigated.

Related: 45 vehicles including ATVs and motorbikes confiscated during bust in Detroit

Police say they have a person in custody. Williams says the person was living in the trailer that was stolen.

Officers also found a handgun in one of the stolen cars.

Neighbors say they are glad tow trucks are getting rid of the eyesore.

“I was happy. They need to get rid of all that,” Jenkins said.

Right now, police say these cars were stolen from the city of Detroit and nearby suburbs.

Anyone with information is asked to call the 6th Precinct at 313-596-5600 or the crime line to leave an anonymous tip at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.