Two Connecticut men suspected in a car theft ring in the northeast have been arrested in Watertown.
Police made the arrests after responding to Honda of Watertown to investigate the possible fraudulent purchase of a Honda CRV.
Officers responded to the dealership at 4 p.m. on Friday and found the suspects were passengers in an Uber and trying to leave.
Police identified the suspects as Willie Samuel Baldayaquez, of New Haven, and Ruben Martinez, of Wethersfield.
They said the two men gave authorities false names and police found several IDs from various states.
Police also found two key fobs for a BMW and said the suspects admitted that the other key fobs were from a fraudulently purchased BMW X5 from BMW of Watertown.
The vehicle was found in parking lot of Home Depot in Waterbury.
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Police said there are warrants for Martinez from New Jersey and Ohio and he was held as a fugitive from justice.
Police said Baldayaques was previously deported and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had issued a detainer for his arrest.
The two men are suspected of stealing more than 130 vehicles from one area of New Jersey, according to Watertown Police.
Martinez was charged with two counts of identity theft, two counts of forgery, interfering with an officer and two counts of larceny in the first degree.
Samuel was charged with conspiracy to commit larceny in the first degree, interfering with an officer and identity theft.
Both are due to be arraigned in the Waterbury Superior Court on Monday.
Police said they also recovered evidence and paperwork from the suspects, including a stolen Toyota 4 Runner from Freehold New Jersey, information on a bank account in Darien that was fraudulently opened and paperwork for a Honda CRV stolen from Bridgeport.
The investigation is ongoing statewide and in the northeast United States.
