Chop shop operator, outlaw motorcycle gang member arrested in Perris

Todd Payne, 36, was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, possession of stolen firearms, illegal possession of assault rifles and operating a chop shop in his Perris home.


An outlaw motorcycle gang member was arrested for allegedly running a chop shop, and his dog was shot and killed by officers when it attacked while authorities served a search warrant at the 36-year-old’s home in Perris Tuesday morning, a sheriff’s sergeant said.

Officers from the Riverside County Regional Gang Task Force and the West County Narcotics Task Force arrested Todd Payne on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, possession of stolen firearms, illegal possession of assault rifles and operating a chop shop after the 7:40 a.m. search warrant in the 24000 block of El Baquero Road, in an unincorporated area of Perris, Sgt. Sean Brown said in a news release.

Officers found multiple stolen motorcycle parts, gang paraphernalia and a total of 16 firearms, including one that was reported stolen during a residential burglary in December, Brown said.

During the search, a large mixed-breed dog at the home attacked a police dog, forcing officers to shoot the dog, in defense of the police dog and other officers in the area, Brown said.

The attacking dog was killed and the police dog is recovering from its injuries, Brown said. No one was injured during the investigation.

Payne was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, but bail information was not immediately available