The Los Angeles Police Department announced Sunday the arrest of 18 suspects, ranging in age from 15 to 20, in a massive and organized shoplifting operation that took place over a two-day period a week. pass.
As of Thursday, organized retail theft incidents occurred at four shoe and clothing retail chain locations. Two incidents occurred in the LAPD Southeast Division, one in the Hollenbeck Division, and one in the city of Paramount within the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) area.
Police said several suspects made off with large amounts of clothing with an estimated value of $23,000.
The 18 suspects, who live throughout the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, were arrested for violating California Penal Code §490.4 PC (Organized Shoplifting) and 487 PC (Grand Theft), a felony.
SHERIFF VILLANUEVA GRANTS RUN FOR RE-ELECTION
New Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, right, holds his wife’s hand as they pray with their family before Luna is sworn in as Los Angeles’ 34th Sheriff during a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday December 3, 2022.
(AP Photo/Damián Dovarganes)
Police said a total of eight vehicles were seized as part of their investigation, and all stolen items were recovered and returned to shoe and clothing retailers.
Those same suspects are suspected of being involved in 14 other incidents in the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, with a total estimated loss of $90,000 in stolen items, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The investigation is ongoing and will be a combined investigative effort by LAPD, LASD, and the clothing store’s loss prevention personnel.
Anyone with information related to these or any other organized retail theft incidents is urged to contact the nearest or local law enforcement agency, according to the police news release.
The announcement came a day after Robert Luna was sworn in during a ceremony Saturday as the new head of the nation’s largest sheriff’s department. He officially begins his term as Los Angeles County’s 34th sheriff next week after winning the election last month against incumbent Alex Villanueva.
In his speech, Luna promised a new direction, saying he would focus on accountability of deputies and cooperation with elected officials. He will be tasked with reducing violent and property crime rates that have skyrocketed in the county, the nation’s most populous with some 10 million people.
Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva provides details about a week-long statewide operation aimed at combating human trafficking, at a press conference held at the Hall of Justice on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“We need to stand up for good policing,” he said, adding: “It is our responsibility to speak out about bad policing, and we will, that is an element of maintaining public trust.”
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Villanueva’s tenure was marred by clashes with members of the county Board of Supervisors after the sheriff refused to enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates for some 10,000 sworn deputies, which he argued would worsen shortages. staff amid rising crime. Villanueva, a one-term Democrat, has also been an outspoken critic of the police defunding movement and the rise in violent crime after the Black Lives Matter protests and riots.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
