West Valley police arrest brothers for allegedly stealing from local Auto Zone stores

PHOENIX — Two men have been arrested in connection with multiple thefts from local Auto Zone stores, authorities announced Tuesday.

Mark Perez, 32, was arrested on Saturday after officers identified him as the alleged suspect who stole merchandise from multiple stores, according to the Buckeye Police Department.

His brother, 28-year-old Alan Perez, was arrested the same day after being identified as the alleged getaway driver, police said.

The brothers were booked into jail on theft and drug charges.

Details about retail theft Buckeye police accused the brothers of

Buckeye police said the brothers were involved in three separate thefts from Auto Zone locations on Watson and Indian School roads. Mark allegedly stole tools before leaving in a black Volvo SUV that didn’t have a license plate.

Officers used technological tools from the Buckeye Real-Time Crime Center, which opened last year, to locate a vehicle with similar features that had been seen in the area around the time of the high-dollar thefts and obtain its license plate.

That was then entered into a database for the investigation and police were notified the next time the vehicle’s license plate entered the city.

Organized retail theft is a huge issue in Maricopa County, according to local prosecutors. In fact, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell’s office launched the Organized Retail Crime Taskforce to crack down on the issue in 2023.

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