Stolen purple McLaren found during car theft investigation in Irvine; suspect arrested

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Police in Irvine arrested a man accused of running a complex stolen luxury vehicle operation.

Zihua Zhang, 37, was booked into the Orange County Jail Thursday after he was pulled over in a stolen Dodge Durango SRT with an altered VIN plate, according to police.

Investigators say Zhang is responsible for at least five vehicle thefts in Irvine, including the theft of the Durango and a $285,000 McLaren, which was found at his home in Woodbridge.

Police say Zhang has been on their radar for the last month. He's accused of buying stolen luxury cars, replacing the vehicle identification number (VIN) and later selling the vehicles.

During the search at Zhang's home, police found fraudulent VIN plates, license plates, and checks along with three unregistered firearms.

Zhang is believed to be a part of a larger organization conducting this type of crime.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.