Police seize vehicle in Rutland, arrest suspect

RUTLAND — A 41-year-old man from Florida was arrested following an incident in Rutland back in April.

Police say they initiated a traffic stop for an observed motor vehicle violation on US Route 4 at around 4:20 p.m. on April 17.

The driver was identified as Jorge Pena, of Defuniak Springs, Florida.

Police say Pena did not have any available documentation for the vehicle and during the stop, they suspected the vehicle may not have been legitimate.

The vehicle was seized and a warrant was granted to find the true identity of the vehicle.

A search warrant was executed and the vehicle was found to have an altered VIN.

Troopers, with the help of the National Insurance Crime Bureau and Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, were able to discover the true VIN of the vehicle.

The vehicle was found to be stolen out of Miami, Florida, in 2020.

During the investigation, police say that Pena made multiple false statements to police to deflect the investigation.

He was issued a criminal citation to appear in court to answer to the charges of aggravated operation without owners consent, possession of stolen property, and false information to police.