Two arrest affidavits have brought out new information on an alleged chop shop, accused of taking apart stolen cars for parts in Socorro.

"I was trying to sell my car because it didn't have the license plates or stickers. About three weeks after I put it out for sale, it was stolen from outside the house," the owner of the car, who does not wish to be identified, said.

In January, the owner of a 1995 white Monte Carlo that was for sale woke up to find it missing. The theft ended up being part of a chop shop theft ring. The owner wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.

"The next day I wanted to look for it. I knew that because I took one license plate off, they couldn't take it anywhere," the owner said.

He searched nearby scrap yards, finally seeing behind the security gate at Sierra Iron and Metal Inc. in Socorro.

"When me and my nephew went to look for it, we passed by the scrap yard on Horizon. I told him to check and see if they had it. He told me they were already dismantling it. They were almost done disposing of it. That's when we called the cops," the owner of the car said.

Sheriff's deputies arrested three people for fraudulent transfer of a motor vehicle -- the shop's owner, Jaime Gandara, the shop's manager, Jenny Martinez, and the man who allegedly sold the car to the shop for $350, 50-year-old Manuel Sosa.

The affidavits state Sosa said that Jaime Gandara allegedly had an agreement with Martinez to accept cars without titles, and that this happened 15 times.

Gandara, however, maintains he did not know the car was stolen. That doesn't help the original owner, whose car is now part of police evidence.

"The detectives have the car. They have the car all disassembled. It has me upset because I don't have the money for the car or the car itself," the owner said.

Sosa is also charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle for allegedly driving the stolen vehicle onto the lot. Martinez is charged with filing a false report to a peace officer.