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Carlos Flores Hernandez, 27, was charged with grand larceny and tampering with a vehicle after police found him with 206 stolen truck mirrors, the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
"Over the last three years, there have been numerous reports of side mirrors being stolen from unoccupied tractor trailers in the area," the release reads. "This was especially frustrating for the victims, as the trucks were out of service waiting for a replacement mirror."
Deputies and detectives had been looking into the thefts and conducting surveillance details, but were unable to crack the case. The thefts were all smoke and mirrors, with no productive leads — until last week when a crafty resident helped solve the crime, the sheriff's office said.
On Nov. 13, a resident reported the side mirror stolen from his Volvo tractor, parked on Eskimo Hill Road. Fortunately, the resident had placed an AirTag on the mirror and detectives were able to track the AirTag (and stolen mirror) to an address on Antietam Loop in North Stafford, the sheriff's office said.
Detectives conducted surveillance and on Nov. 20, a search warrant was executed on the home.
"Detective K.L. Warnick discovered a literal house of mirrors and recovered 206 truck mirrors, including the stolen mirror with the AirTag," the release reads. "Amazingly, the helpful thief had placed a sticker on many of the mirrors, indicating the date and location of the theft. We do not know what the offender sees in truck mirrors, but he had quite the collection."
Flores Hernandez is believed to have been stealing the mirrors for several years, and hasn't looked back since, deputies say. He'll be able to take a good look at himself as he remains in the Rappahannock Regional Jail.
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