A stolen purple McLaren was recovered during a car theft investigation in Irvine. suspect arrested

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) — Irvine police have arrested a man suspected of carrying out a complex luxury car theft case.

Zihua Zhang, 37, was booked into the Orange County Jail Thursday after being stopped in a stolen Dodge Durango SRT with an altered VIN plate, police said.

Investigators say Zhang has been involved in at least five vehicle thefts in Irvine, including a $285,000 McLaren that was discovered at homes in Durango and Woodbridge. .

According to police, Zhang has been under surveillance since last month. The suspect is suspected of purchasing stolen luxury cars, changing the vehicle identification number (VIN), and then selling the cars.

When police searched Zhang’s home, they found fraudulent VIN plates, license plates, checks, and three unregistered firearms.

Zhang is believed to be part of a large organization carrying out this type of crime.

This incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.