Sheriff's deputies are hot on the trail of a ring of thieves that allegedly steal cars then sell them to chop shops to dismantle and sell off the parts.

On freeways you have 12 hours to move your vehicle if it's stuck there, but according to the El Paso Sheriff's Office,  that is more than enough time for someone to steal your car.

"Many people would think that's not suspicious to see a tow truck pick up a vehicle on the side of the road," El Paso Sheriff Richard Wiles said.

A wrecker towing a car may seem ordinary, but to the El Paso Sheriff's Office it could be a crime taking place.

“Vehicles were towed that were broken down by the side of the road. They were towed away by individuals who did not have permission to tow the vehicle. Same thing on private property and after hours when a business was closed, cars were towed,” Sheriff Wiles said.

This method was one of those used by a chop shop car theft ring. And it took a victim to clue deputies in on the crime.

"An owner of a vehicle had his vehicle stolen in one of those ways, and he saw it at Sierra Iron and Metals," Sheriff Wiles said.

Sheriff's deputies arrested owner Jaime Gandara and manager Jennifer Martinez on charges of fraudulent transfer of a motor vehicle after the victim's car was found at the shop. The person who allegedly sold the car to the shop clued in authorities into the way the ring is working.

"An individual who would show an interest in the vehicle would ask to take it for a test drive. They would leave their vehicle, drive off for the test drive alone, go to a store, get a key made, and say he wasn't interested. Then they would show up a day or two later to use that extra key to take the vehicle," Sheriff Wiles said.

Sheriff Wiles said this could be just the tip of the iceberg.

"You can expect other arrests," Wiles said.

The Sheriff’s Office recommends people tow their cars as soon as possible, and if you are selling a car never let a person take it for a test drive alone

Jaime Gandara maintains that he is innocent. He tells KFOX 14 that he did not know the car was stolen and he has every intention of fighting the charges against him.