Clovis man charged with felony chop shop operation
Media Release, Clovis Police Department
Clovis, NM – On Monday, April 28th, 2025, at about 9:30 a.m., Detectives of the Clovis Police Department noticed a newer model, white in color Dodge Ram 2500 parked along 523 Rencher Street. The vehicle displayed a New Mexico license plate and vehicle identification number (VIN) returning to a 2019 Dodge Ram Big Horn edition truck. The New Mexico license plate was displayed on a Dodge mega cab truck, Laramie edition. Detectives stepped out with the truck and were approached by Albert Mares (57 years of age). After speaking with Detectives, Mares allowed the Detectives to inspect the vehicle.
During this secondary check, a secondary VIN was located and run. This VIN returned to a vehicle that was reported stolen from Bender Dodge on September 3rd, 2024. A second truck, on a lift in the Marez Automotive Service lot, 316 W. 6th Street, was noticed by Detectives. The New Mexico license plate on this vehicle did not return when run by the Detectives. The VIN on this truck’s dashboard did not correspond with the secondary VIN. Detectives generated and executed a search warrant on both 523 Rencher Street (where vehicles were parked) and for 316 West 6th Street, Marez Automotive Services.
Three stolen trucks were seized. The VIN’s on the driver’s door pillar and dash for the three trucks were altered, but secondary VIN’s properly identified the vehicles as having been reported stolen. The vehicles with altered VINs were registered to Albert Mares (57 years of age).
Through the course of the investigation, documentation from New Mexico Department of Motor Vehicles and other supporting documentation helped identify how the false VINs were obtained. On May 1st, 2025, Detectives were in contact with Castro County, Texas, Sheriff’s Deputies where they recovered the remnants of a burned truck. This vehicle was also reportedly stolen and has been associated to Mares.
Based on the investigation, Albert Mares was charged with the felony crimes of Operating a Chop Shop (1 count), Receiving or Transferring Stolen Vehicles or Motor Vehicles (4 counts), Altering or Changing Engine or other Numbers (4 counts), Forgery (4 counts) and Conspiracy (2 counts). Albert Mares was taken into custody and was transported to the Curry County Adult Detention Center without incident.
The combined value of the three vehicles recovered by the detectives was in excess of $200,000.00. The burned vehicle recovered in Texas was valued at approximately $50,000.00
