ReportWire

Tag: Theft

  • Forced labor, same-sex marriage, shoplifting on the ballot in California this year

    Forced labor, same-sex marriage, shoplifting on the ballot in California this year

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Forced labor, same-sex marriage and shoplifting are among the 10 statewide ballot measures that California voters are set to consider in November.

    The California secretary of state assigned proposition numbers to the measures on Wednesday after the Legislature added two more bond proposals to the ballot.

    Here’s a look at what voters will decide in November:

    This asks voters for permission to borrow $10 billion for public school construction and repairs. Most of the money, $8.5 billion, would go to elementary and secondary schools. The rest, or $1.5 billion, would go to community colleges. No money would be available for the California State University or University of California systems.

    This would remove the ban on same-sex marriage from the California Constitution. Voters added that ban to the constitution in 2008. But the U.S. Supreme Court has prevented California from enforcing the ban since 2013. Still, the language banning same-sex marriage remains in the state constitution. The proposed amendment would remove the ban and replace it with language saying, “The right to marry is a fundamental right.”

    This asks voters for permission to borrow $10 billion for various climate programs. The largest chunk of the money, $3.8 billion, would help pay to improve drinking water systems and prepare for droughts and floods. Programs preparing for wildfires would receive $1.5 billion while programs combating sea level rise would get $1.2 billion.

    The rest would be divided up among parks and outdoor recreation programs, clean air initiatives and programs preparing for extreme heat, protecting biodiversity and helping make farms and ranches sustainable.

    This would change the state constitution to make it easier for local governments to borrow money, provided they use the funds to build affordable housing or public infrastructure. Local governments, excluding school districts, currently can borrow money only if two-thirds of voters approve.

    This would lower that threshold to 55% for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects. Public infrastructure includes water and sewer systems, public transportation, libraries, broadband internet and hospitals.

    This would change the California Constitution to ban forced labor in any form. The constitution currently bans involuntary servitude, or forced labor, except as a punishment for crime. That exemption has become a target of criminal justice advocates concerned about prison labor conditions. It is not uncommon for people who are incarcerated to be put to work earning less than $1 an hour.

    This eventually would increase California’s minimum wage to $18 per hour. It is currently $16 per hour for most people and $20 per hour for fast food workers. Health care workers will eventually see their minimum wage reach $25 per hour, according to a law that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last year.

    This would repeal a state law prohibiting cities and counties from capping rents on single-family homes, condominiums and apartments built after 1995. Supporters say the proposal would help prevent homelessness.

    Similar measures failed in 2018 and 2020 amid fierce opposition led by landlord groups and the real-estate industry. Opponents argued the proposal would hurt mom-and-pop landlords and discourage the construction of affordable housing.

    State lawmakers in 2019 approved a 10% statewide cap on annual rent increases. The law exempted new construction for 15 years and is set to expire in 2030. Several cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose also have local rent control policies.

    This would permanently allow California’s Medicaid program to pay pharmacies directly for prescription drugs. California started doing this in 2019 after Newsom signed an executive order allowing the payments. This measure would make it a law.

    The measure also would require some health care providers to spend almost all of the money they get from a federal prescription drug program directly on patient care instead of other things.

    This proposition appears to be directed at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The measure has the backing of the California Apartment Association, which helped pay for an ad criticizing the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The foundation has said it is being targeted for its support for rent control.

    This would make the state pay doctors more money for treating patients who are covered by Medicaid, the government-funded health insurance program for people with low incomes.

    Managed care organizations contract with the state to provide these health benefits. The state taxes these organizations to help pay for the Medicaid program. This measure would require the state to use a portion of that tax money to increase how much Medicaid pays doctors.

    This would make the crime of shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders and increase penalties for some drug charges, including those involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl. It also would give judges the authority to order those with multiple drug charges to get treatment.

    Proponents said the initiative is necessary to close loopholes in existing laws that have made it challenging for law enforcement to punish shoplifters and drug dealers.

    Opponents, including Democratic state leaders and social justice groups, said the proposal would disproportionately imprison poor people and those with substance use issues rather than target ringleaders who hire large groups of people to steal goods for them to resell online.

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  • $25,000 reward offered for information on stolen bronze plaques honoring L.A. teachers

    $25,000 reward offered for information on stolen bronze plaques honoring L.A. teachers

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    When Vandana Kumar’s family visited her in Los Angeles, they always stopped at a bronze plaque embedded in a Woodland Hills sidewalk that honored her 25 years as a science teacher at Canoga Park High School.

    Her family posed for photos with the plaque, which was installed in 2018, as if it were a part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And then, within the last few weeks, it was ripped out — most likely by someone seeking to sell it for scrap metal, officials said.

    “It bothered me — I won’t lie,” Kumar, 60, said of the theft.

    She is one of 11 teachers whose honorary plaques have been ripped from a Victory Boulevard sidewalk in Woodland Hills over the last month. Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield announced a $25,000 reward this week for information leading to an arrest in the thefts.

    “It’s not about my plaque,” Kumar said. “It’s about somebody having the audacity” to steal something built to honor teachers, she said.

    Kumar attends a ceremony dedicating her plaque in 2018.

    (Nupur Kumar)

    Blumenfield’s office said in a statement Thursday that the theft “has created significant sidewalk damage, as well as the loss of these landmarks that are both financially valuable and meaningful to the surrounding community.”

    Multiple plaques are installed each year by the Walk of Hearts Foundation, a nonprofit organization that honors exceptional teachers in the Valley.

    Each plaque is worth about $4,000 and weighs about 40 pounds, Los Angeles Police Capt. Rodolfo Lopez said.

    Lopez said video captured someone stealing four plaques in one night, but the footage was too blurry for facial recognition technology to identify them. Seven more plaques disappeared over the next few weeks, and Lopez said the department believes the thefts are connected.

    Local metal scrap vendors have been alerted to the thefts and were told to contact police if someone came in to sell the plaques, Lopez said.

    The Los Angeles area has recently seen an increase in thefts of metal objects, including those made of copper and bronze, that can be sold for scrap.

    The 6th Street Viaduct’s famous lights recently went dark after thieves stole the bridge’s copper wiring. More than 100 plaque thefts have been reported from two cemeteries in Carson and Compton, and a bronze newsboy statue in MacArthur Park was stolen.

    Joseph Andrews, the founder of the Walk of Hearts Foundation, said in an email that the thefts from Woodland Hills “violated the community in many ways.” The person responsible has “stolen not just a bronze plaque,” he said, but “a piece of a teacher’s legacy.”

    In total, the stolen plaques were worth about $44,000, not including the cost of sidewalk repairs.

    Kumar retired last year from Canoga Park High and said the plaque was part of her legacy. As a Hindu, she will be cremated when she dies, she said, so the plaque was a physical reminder of who she was — so much so that she used to joke with her principal, “when you see flowers on my plaque, you’ll know I’m gone.”

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    Sandra McDonald

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  • Detroit paying $300,000 to man wrongly accused of theft, making changes in use of facial technology

    Detroit paying $300,000 to man wrongly accused of theft, making changes in use of facial technology

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    DETROIT — The city of Detroit has agreed to pay $300,000 to a man who was wrongly accused of shoplifting and also change how police use facial recognition technology to solve crimes.

    The conditions are part of a lawsuit settlement with Robert Williams. His driver’s license photo was incorrectly flagged as a likely match to a man seen on security video at a Shinola watch store in 2018.

    “We are extremely excited that going forward there will be more safeguards on the use of this technology with our hope being to live in a better world because of it,” Williams told reporters, “even though what we would like for them to do is not use it at all.”

    The agreement was announced Friday by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at University of Michigan law school. They argue that the technology is flawed and racially biased. Williams is Black.

    Detroit police will be prohibited from arresting people based solely on facial recognition results and won’t make arrests based on photo lineups generated from a facial recognition search, the ACLU said.

    “They can get a facial recognition lead and then they can go out and do old-fashioned police work and see if there’s actually any reason to believe that the person who was identified … might have committed a crime,” said Phil Mayor, an ACLU attorney.

    There was no immediate comment from Detroit police on the settlement. Last August, while the litigation was still active, Chief James White announced new policies about the technology. The move came after a woman who was eight months pregnant said she was wrongly charged with carjacking.

    White at that time said there must be other evidence, outside the technology, for police to believe a suspect had the “means, ability and opportunity to commit the crime.”

    The agreement with Williams says Detroit police will go back and look at cases from 2017 to 2023 in which facial recognition was used. A prosecutor will be notified if police learn that an arrest was made without independent evidence.

    “When someone is arrested and charged based on a facial recognition scan and a lineup result, they often face significant pressure to plead guilty,” Mayor said. “That is all the more true if the individual — unlike Mr. Williams — has a criminal record and thus faces longer sentences and more suspicious police and prosecutors.”

    ___

    Follow Ed White on X at https://twitter.com/edwritez

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  • Assistant found guilty of dismembering former boss with a saw to keep him from discovering theft

    Assistant found guilty of dismembering former boss with a saw to keep him from discovering theft

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    NEW YORK — A personal assistant was convicted Monday of killing and dismembering his former boss after stealing an estimated $400,000 from him, Manhattan’s district attorney said.

    A jury found Tyrese Haspil, 25, guilty in the 2020 death of Fahim Saleh, 33, whose beheaded, armless body was found by a cousin who had gone to his luxury Manhattan condo to check on him.

    Haspil was arrested days later in a posh Airbnb that authorities say he had rented with stolen money for his girlfriend’s birthday party.

    Haspil handled finances and personal matters for Saleh, whose ventures included Gokada, a ride-hailing motorcycle service in Africa. Within months of being hired in 2018, investigators said Haspil began funneling money into bogus accounts using two separate schemes, prosecutors said.

    He resigned after a year but continued to embezzle funds, even after Saleh confronted him about one of the schemes in January 2020 and let Haspil repay $35,000 over a two-year period to avoid criminal prosecution.

    Afraid Saleh would discover the continuing theft, Haspil hatched a detailed murder plot, first posing as a potential buyer for a vacant apartment across the street from Saleh’s residence so that he could install a camera to surveil Saleh’s building, prosecutors said.

    When Saleh returned home from a run on the morning of July 13, 2020, Haspil followed him into the elevator to his seventh-floor apartment, shocked him with a Taser and stabbed him to death, prosecutors said. He returned the next day to dismember the body with an electric saw, which eventually died, authorities said. It was while Haspil was out buying a battery charger that the victim’s cousin arrived and discovered the body, authorities said.

    “Tyrese Haspil tragically cut Mr. Saleh’s life short – a man who came from a close-knit immigrant family and followed his passions to become a successful entrepreneur,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “I hope the accountability delivered by today’s verdict can provide a measure of comfort to Mr. Saleh’s loved ones as they continue to mourn his loss.”

    Haspil’s sentencing on murder and other counts is scheduled for September.

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  • Arrest log

    Arrest log

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    The following arrests were made recently by local police departments. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Massachusetts’ privacy law prevents police from releasing information involving domestic and sexual violence arrests with the goal to protect the alleged victims.

    LOWELL

    • Eric Candelario, 35, 148 High St., Apt. 1, Lowell; warrant (failure to pay fine for operation of motor vehicle with suspended registration), operating motor vehicle after license suspension, attaching plates violation

    • Chelsea Cook, 25, 143 Varney St., Second Floor, Lowell; warrants (failure to appear for larceny under $1,200, and possession of Class A drug).

    • Michael Dalton, 33, homeless; warrant, trafficking in cocaine, possession of Class A drug.

    • Sheila Mouleart, 39, homeless; warrant (larceny under $1,200).

    • Carlos Hernandez, 54, 435 Smith St., Apt. 1, Lowell; warrants (failure to appear for possession of Class B drug, trespassing, larceny under $1,200, and malicious damage to motor vehicle).

    • Gerald Swankowski, 42, no fixed address; warrants (failure to appear for possession of Class B drug, and threatening to commit crime).

    • Edwin Rodriguez-Arias, 35, 195 Mount Hope St., Apt. 2, Lowell; warrant (unlicensed operation of motor vehicle), unregistered motor vehicle, operating motor vehicle without license, operating uninsured motor vehicle.

    • Tiago Claudina De Paula, 30, 394 Concord St., Lowell; assault with dangerous weapon (gun).

    • Viviana Hernandez, 54, 144 Stevens St., Apt. 7, Lowell; warrant (failure to appear for providing false identification information).

    • Katie Kustra, 45, homeless; shoplifting, giving false name/address to police officer.

    • Hector Gomez, 42, 576 Lawrence St., No. 307, Lowell; possession of Class B drug, operating motor vehicle after license suspension.

    • Rama Damacene, 20, 322 Old Main St., Tewksbury; warrant (unregistered motor vehicle).

    • Andrew Alexander, 42, 22 Bowers St., Apt. 504, Lowell; warrant (larceny under $1,200).

    • Dennis Allgaier, 48, 185 Fletcher St., First Floor, Lowell; manufacturing/dispensing Class B drug, possession of Class B drug.

    NASHUA, N.H.

    • Likhith Gorrela, 22, 20 Kinsley St., Apt. 18A, Nashua; operation of motor vehicle without valid license.

    • Latasha Stavseth, 36, no fixed address; criminal trespass.

    • Alicia Armstrong, 34, 23 Spalding St., Nashua; criminal trespass.

    • Jeffrey Scott, 63, 7 Antrim St., Nashua; two counts of theft by unauthorized taking ($0-$1,000).

    • Samantha Gervais, 31, no fixed address; warrants.

    • Brittany Fronk, 25, no fixed address; warrant, resisting arrest/detention.

    • Pablo Soto Batista, 20, 14 Salem St., Nashua; conduct after accident, driving under influence.

    • Robert Brown, 24, 5 Union St., Apt. A, Nashua; resisting arrest/detention, disobeying an officer, receiving stolen property ($0-$1,000), conduct after accident, warrant, driving motor vehicle after license revocation/suspension.

    • Sarah Call, 33, no fixed address; theft by willful concealment (two prior convictions).

    • Michael McLaughlin, 68, 9 Eastman Lane, Hollis, N.H.; criminal threatening.

    • Larissa Baker, 40, 72 Chestnut St., Apt. 3, Nashua; interference with custody.

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  • Officers indicted for 2019 shootout with robbers that killed UPS driver and passerby

    Officers indicted for 2019 shootout with robbers that killed UPS driver and passerby

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Four Florida police officers have been indicted for manslaughter in connection with a 2019 shootout on a busy rush-hour street that left a hijacked UPS driver and a passerby in a nearby car dead.

    A grand jury indicted Miami-Dade County officer Rodolfo Mirabal, 39, with two counts of manslaughter with a firearm for the Dec. 5, 2019, deaths of 27-year-old UPS driver Frank Ordonez and Richard Cutshaw, a 70-year-old union negotiator who was driving nearby, Broward County prosecutors announced Saturday night.

    Officers Jose Mateo, 32, Richard Santiesteban, 33, and Leslie Lee, 57, were indicted for manslaughter with a firearm in connection with Ordonez’s death. They are not charged with Cutshaw’s death.

    None of the officers are charged with the deaths of the hijackers, 41-year-old cousins Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill.

    Mateo and Mirabal are still employed by Miami-Dade police. Lee retired three years ago and Santiesteban was fired, the Miami Herald reported.

    Under Florida law, manslaughter is an unlawful killing committed while demonstrating “culpable negligence” — that is defined as an act that shows a “a wanton or reckless disregard for human life.”

    The officers face a maximum sentence of 30 years if convicted, but as first-time offenders that would be unlikely.

    The four surrendered on Friday and Saturday to the Broward Sheriff’s Office and were released without bail.

    The indictments were issued more than a week ago, but kept secret pending the officers’ surrender. News of the indictments leaked Monday night.

    The indictments come after a four-year investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

    The shootout happened during rush hour on a major street in suburban Fort Lauderdale after a long pursuit by several police agencies. About 20 law enforcement officers were present, though it is unknown how many opened fire on the hijackers, who had been shooting at officers throughout the pursuit.

    Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor said in a statement that the lengthy state investigation and the months-long grand jury proceedings were needed “to ensure we get answers for the victims’ families and the community.”

    “Deciding whether to use deadly force is among the most serious and consequential decisions a police officer can make,” Pryor said. “We understand that these decisions are often made during intense and uncertain circumstances.”

    Pryor and his prosecutors did not say in their statement or in available court documents how the actions of the indicted officers differed from the others. They declined further comment Sunday.

    No lawyers for the officers are listed in court records.

    The South Florida Police Benevolent Association, the officers’ union, did not immediately respond to a phone call and email early Sunday seeking comment. The union previously issued a statement blasting the indictments.

    “We’re extremely disappointed that after almost five years, these officers are finding themselves indicted for something they had seconds to decide. It sends a chilling effect to officers in Broward County,” union president Steadman Stahl said in a statement last week.

    Miami-Dade police also did not not immediately respond to a phone message early Sunday. The department earlier issued a statement saying “it respects the legal process.”

    The tragedy began when Alexander and Hill robbed the Regent Jewelers store in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables. When officers arrived, shots were being fired inside the store. A store worker was hit in the head by a ricochet, but survived.

    The robbers fled and hijacked Ordonez, who was delivering packages nearby.

    They led officers on a long chase into southern Broward County, running red lights and narrowly avoiding crashes. The chase attracted television news helicopters, which began broadcasting it live nationally.

    The hijackers fired from inside the van, which finally stopped in a middle lane at a busy intersection, caught behind a wall of vehicles at a red light.

    Witnesses said gunfire suddenly erupted as officers ran between cars toward the van. Ordonez, Alexander and Hill were killed inside the van. Cutshaw was found dead in his car. Investigators have not said if Ordonez and Cutshaw were shot by police, the robbers or both.

    Policing experts said in 2019 that the officers were in a tough spot. It appeared the robbers were firing from the van, endangering the officers, Ordonez, nearby drivers and their passengers. The officers needed to contain the robbers in the van so they couldn’t run to another vehicle and take new hostages, the experts said.

    It is highly unusual for Florida law enforcement officers to be charged for an on-duty killing, having only happened three times in the past 40 years. Even then, only one of those officers has been convicted.

    Three police officers in the Panhandle town of Crestview are awaiting trial on manslaughter charges for the 2021 death of Calvin Wilks Jr., who died after they allegedly jolted him with a stun gun. Those officers, who have pleaded not guilty, are awaiting trial.

    Former Palm Beach Gardens officer Nouman Raja is serving a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted of manslaughter and attempted murder for the 2015 shooting of Corey Jones, whose SUV had broken down on an interstate highway off-ramp.

    Raja, working undercover and in plain clothes, never identified himself as a police officer when he approached Jones and began yelling at him, an audio recording showed. Jones, fearing he was being robbed, pulled his licensed handgun and tried to flee. Raja pursued and killed him, trial testimony showed.

    A Broward sheriff’s deputy was charged with manslaughter for the 2014 fatal shooting of a man who was carrying an air rifle he had just purchased. Deputies yelled at Jermaine McBean, who spun around and was shot by Deputy Peter Peraza. A judge later threw out the manslaughter charge.

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  • Georgetown PD: Local teen stole 2 cars

    Georgetown PD: Local teen stole 2 cars

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    GEORGETOWN — A local teen accused of stealing two cars was arraigned Monday in Haverhill District Court, according to police.

    Joseph Winthrop Lee, 18, of Georgetown was charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle (two counts); larceny of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene after property damage, resisting arrest, speeding in excess of posted limit and a marked lanes violation.

    Lee was arrested shortly after police say he stole a 2010 Toyota Camry early Sunday and led officers on a pursuit that ended with the car veering into woods off Church Street in West Newbury.

    He was later captured by officers with the help of Amesbury police K-9 Meatball and his partner, Thomas Nichols.

    The arrest came shortly after local police responded to a suspicious gathering at the Georgetown Park and Ride involving two men and a 2022 Toyota Prius. The officers identified the vehicle as being stolen from a Newton address.

    When approached by officers, the men fled. Lee then stole the Camry, police said.

    The second car theft took place in the early morning of May 31 when a 2008 Toyota Prius was stolen from a Georgetown home. Several hours later, the Prius was found abandoned with a flat tire outside the Museum of Science in Boston, according to police.

    Local police charged Lee with both thefts.

    Lee is due back in court July 10.

    In light of the two incidents, police are reminding residents to lock their vehicles.

    “Practicing responsible vehicle ownership isn’t just about protecting your property, it’s also about protecting the lives and property of other people,” Georgetown police Chief David Sedgwick said. “Motor vehicle theft is often a gateway crime to other crime, such as speeding and reckless driving, both of which pose a threat to the entire community. On this occasion, the motor vehicles were stolen as a matter of convenience, and their theft could have been prevented.”

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers the following commonsense tips for helping to prevent vehicle theft:

    Take your vehicle’s key and do not leave it in or on your vehicle; close and lock all windows and doors when parking; park in well-lit areas if possible; and never leave valuables in the vehicle, especially if they can be seen from outside.

    Dave Rogers is the editor of the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

    Dave Rogers is the editor of the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008. 

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    By Dave Rogers | drogers@newburyportnews.com

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  • Teen arrested for fleeing FHP at 130-plus mph

    Teen arrested for fleeing FHP at 130-plus mph

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    An 18-year-old reportedly sped away from a traffic stop and collided with another vehicle on Tuesday.The Florida Highway Patrol says they attempted to stop a car going 85 mph in a 55 mph zone on State Road 82 in Lee County at approximately 12:43 a.m.Troopers say the driver, Alden Roberts, 18, reached speeds of 130 mph-plus to evade the traffic stop on Daniels Parkway and Gateway Boulevard.According to reports, Roberts collided with another vehicle on SR-82 and Sunshine Boulevard, bringing the car to rest.Troopers say two passengers were in the vehicle, and they were transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Deputies reportedly arrested Roberts and charged him with fleeing and multiple counts of reckless driving.

    An 18-year-old reportedly sped away from a traffic stop and collided with another vehicle on Tuesday.

    The Florida Highway Patrol says they attempted to stop a car going 85 mph in a 55 mph zone on State Road 82 in Lee County at approximately 12:43 a.m.

    Troopers say the driver, Alden Roberts, 18, reached speeds of 130 mph-plus to evade the traffic stop on Daniels Parkway and Gateway Boulevard.

    According to reports, Roberts collided with another vehicle on SR-82 and Sunshine Boulevard, bringing the car to rest.

    Troopers say two passengers were in the vehicle, and they were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

    Deputies reportedly arrested Roberts and charged him with fleeing and multiple counts of reckless driving.

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  • ‘I put a GPS on it’: Virginia man tracks down stolen construction tools, initiating ‘enormous’ investigation – WTOP News

    ‘I put a GPS on it’: Virginia man tracks down stolen construction tools, initiating ‘enormous’ investigation – WTOP News

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    A Sterling, Virginia, contractor was a victim of thieves who stole over $3 million worth of construction equipment. Now Howard County police in Maryland are conducting an “enormous” investigation.

    A pile of stolen tools recovered by police in Howard County, Maryland. (Courtesy Howard County police)

    A Sterling, Virginia, contractor was the first victim identified in a string of robberies in which thieves stole over $3 million worth of construction equipment.

    Howard County Police said the “enormous” investigation began in January after the contractor had his equipment, which had a tracking device inside, stolen. The victim said he installed the GPS system after being targeted previously. He declined to share his name with WTOP out of fear the thieves would come back again.

    The contractor first noticed the tools were missing from a work van when he arrived at a job ready to work, and ended up having to take the day off.

    “I’m frustrated, but good thing I can buy [tools] again and keep going,” he told WTOP. “Most of the time, you never can get it back so I know when something gets lost, I know I need to buy it again.”

    The victim said after he reported the missing equipment to police, he was forced to buy new tools at a cost of around $5,000. But because of the tracking system he installed, he was able to see where his stolen equipment was and decided to try to follow the tools.

    He said he grew frustrated seeing his tools move around on the tracking system and decided to go to the Elkridge storage unit that led police to find over 15,000 stolen pieces of construction equipment. Officers eventually conducted search warrants on 12 total locations, 11 of which were in Howard County.

    “I’m happy because I know they can find who did this. Someone rented the unit and put a name on it. I hope they can get arrested,” he said.

    Police said no charges have been filed but they’ve identified at least 80 victims so far and said there could be hundreds, or even thousands, more. To try to find as many victims as possible, police have launched a website for people who’ve had their tools stolen to report it.

    “A lot of victims may not have filed a police report in the first place,” Seth Hoffman, a spokesman for Howard County Police, said. “When we contacted them, some of them were surprised their items were recovered. It may have happened years ago and ‘out of sight out of mind,’ but many of them were thankful because they didn’t expect to get them back.”

    To protect your tools, police recommend keeping equipment in a secure place, getting it engraved, using serial numbers and installing tracking devices.

    At a press conference last Friday, Howard County Police Chief Gregory Der said, “This case sends a clear message — we will not tolerate this criminal enterprise and Howard County.”

    WTOP’s Thomas Robertson contributed to this report.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Cheyenne Corin

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  • ‘So much sentimental value’: Thieves target woman’s items from late mother in post-storm heist

    ‘So much sentimental value’: Thieves target woman’s items from late mother in post-storm heist

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    HOUSTON – Criminals across Harris County are taking advantage of security lapses after last week’s deadly storm that left hundreds of thousands of people without power.

    Thieves targeted the most prized possessions of a lifelong Houstonian, whose mother died four years ago, at her powerless storage unit after she went days without power at home.

    “It’s sad to take advantage of people at such a vulnerable time. A lot of us were without power and then to do that that on top of everything else … tragic,” Yesenia Garcia told KPRC 2′s Bryce Newberry.

    Garcia visits her storage units almost every day because of an online business she has with her husband, she said, and for days, the facility didn’t have power.

    When power came back on Monday night, she visited the Premium Storage on Sierra Ranch Drive and found two of her units rifled through.

    “They just grabbed boxes and tossed them. Stuff everywhere. We spent hours just cleaning it up,” she said.

    As they cleaned, she realized two priceless items were missing: The accordions her mother gave her as a young girl.

    “One of them was my very first accordion that I ever had. My mom bought it for me years ago when I told her, ‘Hey, I want to learn how to play accordion,’ and so that holds a lot of sentimental value to me. Then after I played that one to death, she bought me a much higher value one,” Garcia said.

    She has played since age 13 and taught others to play, too.

    “They just hold so much sentimental value to me,” she said. “I don’t care about the money. It’s just the significance of them.”

    Garcia estimates another 40 units got hit at the facility and shared photos of cut locks scattering the hallways.

    The facility’s surveillance cameras weren’t working, she said, and neither were the cameras at a nearby gas station.

    “Very difficult. Just so many theories about what happened and not a single concrete one,” she said.

    She reported the missing accordions to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, which took a report for theft.

    In an email to tenants, Premium Storage acknowledged the loss of power and wrote in part: “Someone utilized this devastating time to break into our facility. We are still investigating how this occurred.”

    KPRC 2 reached out to the company late Thursday but has not yet heard back.

    “The bad guys who would like to take advantage of this: Don’t even think about it. We’re watching you,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said at a Sunday news conference.

    On Wednesday, Houston Police announced the arrests of 15 people who were caught breaking into businesses, like pawn shops and dollar stores, that didn’t have power after the storm.

    One business told KPRC 2 a next-door business had hired security and saw the suspects in the act so they called police who responded and arrested them.

    They are now facing charges like burglary, theft, and criminal mischief.

    Harris County court records show many of them have a long list of convictions and some are already out on bond.

    Joel Huffman, who has been convicted 16 times with offenses dating back to 1982, had his storm-related charges dismissed after a judge found no probable cause, records show.

    Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

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    Bryce Newberry

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  • Florida man brings million-dollar jackpotting scam to Northern California

    Florida man brings million-dollar jackpotting scam to Northern California

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    (FOX40.COM) — A 44-year-old man from Miami was recently arrested in Northern California for his role in a jackpotting scam that netted over $2 million from various banks and credit unions across the country.

    According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, Carlos Luis Vera La Cruz has been charged with conspiracy, bank larceny, accessing a protected computer to commit fraud, and attempting to access a protected computer to commit fraud.

    Court documents state that Vera La Cruz and others would steal money from ATMs at “targeted” banks and credit unions throughout the United States by infecting the machines with malware that forced them to dispense money without completing a valid transaction.

    “In June 2023, as part of this scheme, Vera La Cruz targeted seven ATMs belonging to a bank in and around Redding and Chico, California, stealing $291,820,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

    Officials believe that in total, Vera La Cruz and his accomplices successfully stole about $2,615,766 from banks and credit unions in multiple states, but did not specify the other states where the scam may have taken place.

    If convicted, Vera La Cruz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for bank larceny. He also could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and a $250,000 fine for each count of accessing a protected computer to commit fraud.

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    Aydian Ahmad

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  • California men sent to prison for stolen mail scheme that netted nearly $250,000

    California men sent to prison for stolen mail scheme that netted nearly $250,000

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    (FOX40.COM) — The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California recently announced the sentencing of two men from Sacramento who were found responsible for nearly $250,000 worth of check fraud.

    According to U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert, Carlos Aranda, 41, and Daniel Hunt, 38, were sentenced to 66 and 57 months in prison for conspiracy, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft connected to postal thefts.

    The attorney’s office said that Aranda and Hunt worked together to steal postal locks, create keys, and steal mail to obtain checks of various amounts.

    “The conspirators periodically gathered together at motel rooms and elsewhere to alter or ‘wash’ [the] stolen checks,” the attorney’s office said. The two men would take the stolen checks and attempt to deposit, cash, or even use them in negotiations.

    In total, the two men from Sacramento were able to commit nearly $250,000 worth of check fraud, according to the attorney’s office, however, it was not made clear how long the men were conducting the scheme.

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    Aydian Ahmad

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  • ‘Underwear underworld’ uncovered by police in Northern Virginia – WTOP News

    ‘Underwear underworld’ uncovered by police in Northern Virginia – WTOP News

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    Three men now have their panties in a bunch after being arrested for allegedly stealing over $24,000 worth of merchandise — mostly Victoria’s Secret underwear.

    A three-man retail theft crew now has their panties in a bunch after being arrested for allegedly stealing over $24,000 worth of merchandise — mostly underwear from Victoria’s Secret.

    Fairfax County Police Capt. Dana Ferreira said the thieves stole the items Wednesday in Prince William County. Later in the day, they drove to Tysons Corner Center, and detectives were alerted about the car through their automated license plate recognition system.

    CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE: Nearly $24,000 worth of merchandise from the Tysons Corner mall was stolen this week. (Courtesy Fairfax County Police)

    “They immediately got to work and located that vehicle in the garage,” Ferreira said. “And we were able to use the mall’s cameras to determine who dropped off several passengers that were moving about the mall.”

    After taking the suspects into custody, officers found the stolen undergarments, which were from Victoria’s Secret, police said. Detectives are only aware of the alleged thefts in Prince William County, but are working to see if the suspects committed similar thefts in other areas.

    “They stole them from a relatively high-value retailer,” Ferreira said. “So they’re items that would normally sell for a pretty high cost. The suspects probably believed they could sell them at a lower cost than the retailer was charging and still make a healthy profit.”

    Ferreira said they are seeing a rise in larceny offenses in the area and are making a concerted effort to disrupt these operations to show thieves it’s not even worth coming to the D.C. region to perpetrate these crimes.

    Felix Perez, 57, Amauri Roman Sanabia Balbuena, 44, both of New Jersey, and 38-year-old Jonathan Peralta Cabrera, of New York, are being charged with grand larceny and other related charges.

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Cheyenne Corin

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  • More than $300,000 in designer handbags stolen from Cape May shop during smash-and-grab burglary

    More than $300,000 in designer handbags stolen from Cape May shop during smash-and-grab burglary

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    Burglars broke into a Cape May jeweler early Sunday morning and made off with vintage Chanel, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton handbags valued at more than $300,000, the store said.

    Queen May Jewelry, which sells designer purses in addition to rings and necklaces, posted surveillance video on Instagram of three people in hooded sweatshirts smashing the glass of the shop’s front door and then climbing through to grab armfuls of merchandise.

    MORE: Dave & Buster’s plan to allow gambling on arcade games raises questions about its legality

    The jeweler said the burglary occurred at 2:59 a.m. Sunday, and is asking for the public’s help in identifying the thieves. On Monday, an employee said there had been no updates in the case, but that Cape May Police are investigating.

    A dispatcher for Cape May County Communications added that officers are asking nearby businesses for surveillance footage as part of their investigation.

    The stolen items include a 1961 Gucci tote, a vintage Chanel camera bag and a Louis Vuitton soccer ball made for France’s 1998 World Cup victory. Queen May Jewelry also mentioned a “rare” Louis Vuitton trunk, inscribed with the name Jenny Hecht, in its Instagram post. The store provided the serial numbers of the roughly 40 stolen items in its post and asked customers to forward the information to pawn shops and secondhand sellers. 

    A couple of the stolen pieces are pictured below: 

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    Kristin Hunt

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  • Northern California police arrest seven for stealing mail from community mailboxes throughout Sacramento area

    Northern California police arrest seven for stealing mail from community mailboxes throughout Sacramento area

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    (FOX40.COM) — Seven people were recently arrested by Northern California police officers after it was discovered they possessed mail that was stolen from various community mailboxes throughout the Sacramento region.

    According to the Lincoln Police Department, 53 victims have been located along with 115 additional identified property owners of the mail that was stolen.

    On March 26, police said they arrested Violet Johnson, 38 from Marysville, and Christy Olson 45 year old female from Olivehurst.

    A few days later on April 1, police arrested Mychale Lee, 38 from Elk Grove, and Mai Thao, 38 from Olivehurst.

    Finally, on April 22, police arrested Tyler Biesemans 29 from Stockton, Jeffrey Byous, 28 from Lodi, and Jenakyleigh Crawford, 29 from Stockton.

    “During each stop, subjects contacted were found to be in possession of stolen mail,” police said. “Through evidence processing and contact with the rightful owners of the mail, it was determined that victim’s mail had been stolen from various community cluster mailboxes in the Sacramento, Olivehurst, and Lincoln areas.”

    The agency continued, “The Lincoln Police Department is committed to holding criminals accountable for crimes committed in our city.”

    Lincoln Police reminds residents to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it in a timely manner.

    “If you receive your USPS Mail via a community/cluster mailbox, please check your mail daily to lessen the risk of theft,” police said.

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    Aydian Ahmad

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  • Yuba County deputies arrest two homeless men for alleged wire and grand theft

    Yuba County deputies arrest two homeless men for alleged wire and grand theft

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    (FOX40.COM) — Two homeless men were recently arrested in connection to a series of wire thefts and other crimes, according to the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office

    “In response to the high number of wire theft crimes reported lately by unsuspecting
    victims, deputies with the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department set out this past Friday
    evening,” YCSO said in a press release.

    On April 26, Yuba County deputies said they were on patrol in the more rural parts of the county when they observed two people on bicycles who matched the description of a recent wire
    theft suspect who was recorded on a trail camera. Deputies said the alleged culprits were a 23-year-old man and a 43-year-old-man who were both homeless.

    The two men were arrested after evidence allegedly connected them to wire theft crimes, according to YCSO. They were book into the Yuba County jail under suspicion of grand theft, vandalism, burglary, and other related crimes.

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    Veronica Catlin

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  • A Miami Home Depot security ‘specialist’ made $260K in tool thefts possible, cops say

    A Miami Home Depot security ‘specialist’ made $260K in tool thefts possible, cops say

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    Home Depot’s “asset protection specialist” has been arrested, accused of setting up the theft of at least $260,000 of goods from Home Depot locations in Miami-Dade.

    Home Depot’s “asset protection specialist” has been arrested, accused of setting up the theft of at least $260,000 of goods from Home Depot locations in Miami-Dade.


    DAVID J. NEAL

    dneal@miamiherald.com

    A gang of thieves swiped hundreds of thousands of dollars in tools from Home Depot stores around Miami-Dade County since April of 2023, according to arrest reports. The man who cops say was at the center of making all the thefts possible: a Home Depot loss prevention officer.

    South Miami-Dade resident Lazaro Echevarria was arrested last Thursday along with 44-year-olds Jose Bello-Valdez and Yoannys Montano-Solano after Miami-Dade police say search warrants at two places discovered “1,240 items valued at over $260,000. Some of the items were still in the original packaging.”

    Obviously, the search warrant wouldn’t have included items already sold. Also, that value estimate didn’t count the items used in an alleged side hustle fraud involving refunds.

    The group made another $49,000 by printing out a receipt from a past sale, swiping a matching item from the store with the same UPC code and “returning” the item for the cash value, according to arrest reports.

    All three remained in Miami-Dade Corrections custody as of Wednesday afternoon.

    Echevarria, 37, had the biggest bond, $98,000, after being charged with one count of organized fraud; one count of unlawful use of a communications device; six counts of dealing in stolen property; six counts of petit theft; and 17 counts of thrid degree grand theft. He’s pleaded not guilty.

    Home Depot said Echevarria has been fired, but wouldn’t say how long he’d been working for the company nor confirm any of his positions held.

    Bello, a Hialeah resident, received a $85,500 bond after being charged with one count of organized fraud; one count of unlawful use of a communications device; five counts of dealing in stolen property; six counts of petit theft; and 15 counts of third degree grand theft.

    South Miami-Dade’s Montano, alleged to be the seller of stolen goods on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp, faces one count of organized fraud; one count of third degree grand theft; one count of unlawful use of a communications device; and 11 counts of dealing in stolen property. His bond is $82,500.

    An “unidentified white male” also joined the group, police said.

    As described in arrest reports, their scheme for hitting Home Depot locations in Kendall (15750 SW 88th St), West Miami-Dade (11305 Bird Rd.) and Hialeah (1590 W. 49th St.) started with Echevarria, a Home Depot “asset protection specialist.”

    Detectives say Echevarria “facilitated the thefts by opening locked tool cabinets; most likely, furnishing keys and/or combinations to the tool cabinets; and staged various items to be later stolen” such as putting them in predetermined places.

    “Once the thefts concluded, he would leave the store still on shift to sell the stolen items.”

    Once, the “asset protection specialist” had to protect his partner, an arrest report noted, when a sharp-eyed senior citizen in a Kendall parking lot almost got everyone caught five months ago.

    READ MORE: Miami Beach, Miami and Orlando men defrauded Home Depots of $100,000, investigators say

    Stolen tools, a black Chevy and Home Depot

    Bello-Valdez strolled into the aforementioned Home Depot in Kendall at around 10:40 a.m. on Nov. 3 and went to the gift center. He picked out tool combination sets from Dewalt and Milwaukee and put them in an empty box on a flatbed cart. Bello-Valdez strolled into the parking lot with the tool sets without pausing to pay.

    An “elderly male customer” told store management he saw this. Store management told their asset protection specialist — Echevarria.

    Meanwhile, Bello-Valdez was putting the stolen tool kits into the a black Chevrolet SUV when an off-duty Miami-Dade officer came over to him, before he ran towards the nearby Walmart “leaving his vehicle abandoned.”

    Bello-Valdez got away and “Echevarria, who was working and present at the time, had no choice but to generate an internal incident report. But he never filed a police report with Miami-Dade police despite finding 19 Dewalt Atomic 20-volt cordless combination kits; five Milwaukee M18 Fuel 120 mph Handheld Blower Kit; four Milwaukee M18 fuel hatchet pruning saws; a 20-volt Max 23 Gauge Pin Nailer Kit; and one Kitchen Cabinet.” Total value: $6,250.

    “The incident was captured on closed circuit TV,” the arrest report said. “Echevarria’s report is not consistent with what occurred during the incident.”

    Since 1989, David J. Neal’s domain at the Miami Herald has expanded to include writing about Panthers (NHL and FIU), Dolphins, old school animation, food safety, fraud, naughty lawyers, bad doctors and all manner of breaking news. He drinks coladas whole. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day.

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  • Arrest log

    Arrest log

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    The following arrests were made recently by local police departments. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Massachusetts’ privacy law prevents police from releasing information involving domestic and sexual violence arrests with the goal to protect the alleged victims.

    LOWELL

    • Leslie Carneiro, 32, homeless; warrants (failure to appear for possession of Class A drug, and receiving stolen property).

    • Joshua McDermott, 41, 365 East St., Apt. D4, Tewksbury; warrant (failure to appear for vandalizing property).

    • Isaac Lombardi, 44, 701 Hickory Lane, Louisville, Ky.; warrants (larceny under $1,200, conspiracy).

    NASHUA, N.H.

    • Erica Carmen Ramos, 40, 29 Temple St., Nashua; nonappearance in court.

    • Steven Coburn, 64, 31 Yarmouth Drive, Nashua; out of town warrants.

    • Kevin Gray, 32, 100 Ridgecrest Drive, Cheshire, Conn.; nonappearance in court.

    • Hilario Alejandro Campos, 23, 85 Langholm Drive, Nashua; suspension of vehicle registration, driving motor vehicle after revocation/suspension.

    • Oscar Verde Reyes, 34, 29 New Dunstable Road, Nashua; operation of motor vehicle without valid license, uninspected motor vehicle.

    • John Meadows, 34, 21 South St., Concord, N.H.; criminal trespass.

    • Brandon Paul Lavoie, 23, 60 Prescott St., Nashua; nonappearance in court.

    • John Peter Wilcox, 52, no fixed address; disorderly conduct.

    • Stefano Renda, 30, 155 Chestnut St., Apt. 2, Nashua; theft lost/mislaid ($0-$1,000), credit card fraud ($0-$1,000).

    • Jerry Summers, 41, 46 Spring St., Apt. 14, Nashua; three counts of simple assault, criminal mischief.

    • Jonathon Rogers, 36, 27 Newcastle Drive, Apt. 4, Nashua; driving motor vehicle after license revocation/suspension, driving motor vehicle without giving proof.

    • Sean Buckley, 41, 10 Barker Ave., Nashua; driving under influence (second offense), disobeying an officer, operating motor vehicle with suspended/revoked license for driving while intoxicated, traffic control device violation.

    • Taher Bashir, 18, 356 Laurel St., Apt. 1, Manchester, N.H.; theft by unauthorized taking ($1,001-$1,500), theft by deception ($0-$1,000), receiving stolen property, theft by unauthorized taking ($0-$1,000).

    • Connor Gorman, 22, 7 Alex Circle, Nashua; two counts of simple assault.

    • Larry Thompson, 43, 18 Fifield St., Nashua; violation of protection order, stalking, second-degree assault.

    • Luis Antonio Fernandez Feliciano, 46, 39 Kinsley St., Apt. A, Nashua; operation of motor vehicle without valid license.

    • Jeremy Moncada, 34, 77 Lock St., Apt. 4, Nashua; criminal trespass.

    • Ronalda Brunner-Cummings, 60, 445 S. Main St., Nashua; driving motor vehicle after license revocation suspension, driving without giving proof.

    • Louis Jean Soucy, 47, no fixed address; criminal trespass.

    • Leo Laterza, 55, 1 Beacon Court, Apt. 2FL, Nashua; failure to appear at arraignment.

    • Jose Perlera, 20, 9 Pratt St., Lunenburg; out of town warrant.

    • Melissa Graves, 48, 31 Pemberton Road, Nashua; warrant.

    • Philip Levesque, 45, 25 Gleneagle Drive, Nashua; violation of restraining order, stalking.

    • Randy Howard Widmer, 37, no fixed address; nonappearance in court.

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  • What to know about the $30 million cash heist in Los Angeles

    What to know about the $30 million cash heist in Los Angeles

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    A brazen Los Angeles cash heist on Easter weekend in which thieves cracked a safe and got away with as much as $30 million is believed to be one of the largest such heists in U.S. history.

    The heist has triggered rampant speculation among a public long infatuated with daring burglaries and hefty criminal paydays.

    Here are some things to know about the recent theft in Los Angeles and the history of such crimes.

    L.A. police and the FBI were tight-lipped Friday about any new developments in their joint investigation, but police Cmdr. Elaine Morales told The Los Angeles Times, which broke news of the crime, that thieves were able to breach the money storage facility in the suburban Sylmar neighborhood and then crack into the safe containing the cash.

    Media reports identified the facility as a location of GardaWorld, a global cash management and security company. The Canada-based company, which also operates fleets of armored cars, did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

    Police said officers received a call for service at the facility at 4:30 a.m. Easter Sunday, and aerial footage from KABC-TV showed a large hole on the side of the building that appeared to be boarded up with plywood.

    Jim McGuffey, an armored car and physical security expert, called the theft “a shock.” Any such facility should have two alarm systems and a seismic motion detector right on the safe, he said, as well as additional motion sensors throughout the building.

    “For that kind of money, you don’t just walk in and walk out with it,” he told AP. “A facility should be protected from the top to the bottom and the sides.”

    Randy Sutton, a former police detective in New Jersey and Las Vegas who investigated major crimes and high-end burglaries, said a crime of this magnitude had likely been planned for months or longer and involved numerous people.

    “This took a tremendous amount of research and tremendous amount of knowledge on the technical end regarding the circumvention of security systems and surveillance,” he said.

    He said much of the cash at a facility like the one operated by GardaWorld has already been in circulation, so unless it comes directly from the U.S. Treasury, the majority of it may not be traceable.

    He added that law enforcement has almost certainly started interviewing anyone who worked at GardaWorld or knew anything about its security protocols.

    “You can bet that not just current employees of that organization are going to be scrutinized, but prior employees as well,” he said.

    Law enforcement officials have not discussed details of the cash that was stolen, but regardless of the denomination of the bills, such a massive amount of cash would be difficult to move and transport.

    The weight of $1 million in $100 bills alone is about 22 pounds (10 kilograms), according to testimony from a U.S. Treasury official to Congress. If the cash were in various denominations, like $5s, $10s and $20s, the weight of $1 million in cash could be closer to 250 pounds (115 kilograms), which could bring the overall weight of last weekend’s haul to a whopping 7,500 pounds (3,400 kilograms), or about 3 1/2 tons (3.18 metric tonnes).

    Sutton said it’s likely the criminals who pulled of the caper already had a plan in place for how to launder that much money.

    “It’s an interesting question: How do you get rid of that amount of cash?” he said. “I know it’s a quandary we’d all like to have, but the reality is these criminals probably had that in their repertoire.”

    Although the largest cash heist in the world is believed to be the plundering of the Central Bank of Iraq during the U.S. invasion in 2003, and other large cash heists have been pulled off in Europe and South America, the Los Angeles heist would be among the largest ever in the U.S.

    The 1997 armed robbery of nearly $19 million at the Los Angeles Dunbar Armored Co. depot was the largest cash robbery in U.S. history at the time, according to the Los Angeles Times. That caper, during which five armed robbers in black clothing and masks tied up a handful of workers at the depot, was planned with the help of a former employee at the facility. It took years to crack the case, and although all five culprits were caught, most of the cash was never recovered.

    Although not a cash heist, nearly two years ago, as much as $100 million in jewels and other valuables were stolen from a Brink’s big rig at a Southern California truck stop. The thieves haven’t been caught.

    People have long been obsessed with big-money heists, as evidenced by the key role these criminal jobs play in movies, films and television. A central theme of the 1990 mobster classic “Goodfellas” is the true story of the Lufthansa heist in 1978, when gangsters made off with just under $6 million in cash and jewelry in what was the largest U.S. heist at the time.

    The blockbuster 2001 heist film “Ocean’s 11,” which was a remake of a 1960 movie of the same name, also featured an ensemble cast determined to steal $160 million from a Las Vegas casino. That film spawned several sequels that centered on elaborate heists.

    A popular heist film set in Los Angeles, 1995’s “Heat,” features a group of elite professional thieves who target armored cars and bank vaults. The film stars Robert DeNiro as an L.A.-based thief and his crew looking to make a final $12 million bank heist while being chased by an L.A. detective played by Al Pacino.

    ___ Associated Press reporters Stefanie Dazio and Eugene Garcia in California contributed to this report.

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  • Neighbor heard odd noises amid heist of up to $30 million from Sylmar vault

    Neighbor heard odd noises amid heist of up to $30 million from Sylmar vault

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    It was a strange mechanical sound — a kind of rhythmic whirring — and it wouldn’t quit.

    At the time, the resident of Tahitian Mobile Home Park in Sylmar didn’t think much of the weekend racket, which seemed to be coming from a neighboring industrial building and may have lasted two hours or more, she said.

    Now, though, after learning that the warehouse behind the park was breached by thieves who stole as much as $30 million in a Sunday night heist, the woman has fixated on that odd noise — and what it may have been.

    “That sound is embedded in my head,” said the woman, who requested her name not be published over privacy concerns. “My mind is still going crazy over what happened. I know it’s just money, but they’re invading your space.”

    The elaborate Easter heist is believed to be among the biggest in L.A. history. It occurred at a Roxford Street facility where cash from businesses across the Southland is handled and stored by GardaWorld, a security services company. In a display of uncommon sophistication, thieves breached the single-story building via its roof to gain access to its vault — and avoided the property’s alarm system, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation of the theft.

    Montreal-based GardaWorld did not learn of the crime until opening the vault on Monday. The company did not respond to requests for comment.

    George Alhosry, who owns the Kwik Market & Deli on Roxford, said the store’s Wi-Fi was down much of Sunday. “We couldn’t access the Lotto,” he said, adding that mobile phone calls failed in the area, too.

    It’s unclear whether that was connected to the heist. But Wi-Fi jammers have become a common tool of theft gangs during their burglaries of homes in Southern California because they knock out many security cameras that could capture video or stills of them or their vehicles.

    Authorities have so far said little about the mysterious heist, which is being investigated by the FBI and Los Angeles Police Department. The Times previously reported that there was also an effort by the thieves to breach the side of the GardaWorld building. It’s unclear whether this was part of their attempts to enter or exit the warehouse. A KABC-TV News video aired Wednesday night showed a large cut on the side of the structure that was covered by a piece of plywood. By Thursday afternoon, the wall appeared to be patched up.

    The crime has rattled Sylmar, where residents and merchants near the GardaWorld building told The Times they were shocked that such an audacious heist occurred in their midst.

    Yet some locals were more focused on street crime than a high-dollar heist that appeared to bear the hallmarks of a silver screen spectacle. Take Victor Benitez, who said that the particulars of the heist seemed to be plucked from a 1980s action movie. Standing near a shabby section of San Fernando Road, where shaggy palm trees wore their browning fronds like beards, he lamented that prostitution and violent crime are problems in the area.

    “Five weeks ago, the police brought a dog in, they searched the area for an active shooter — but it wasn’t in the news,” said Benitez as a train rumbled by on adjacent tracks. “I would not recommend living here.”

    Damage to a wall at the GardaWorld building in Sylmar appeared to be repaired on Thursday.

    (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

    Sandi Gomez, a resident of the mobile home park whose property offers a view of the GardaWorld building, said she didn’t notice anything amiss over last weekend. She said she told FBI agents the same thing when they visited her Monday afternoon and asked if she “saw or heard anything suspicious around 4 a.m.” Sunday.

    Gomez was asleep at the time.

    The FBI agents also wanted to know about a security camera mounted on a portion of her home that faces the GardaWorld property. Gomez said she explained to the agents that the camera only offers a live view and doesn’t record footage. The next day, she said, LAPD investigators walked the area.

    The mobile home park is a dense neighborhood of tightly spaced trailers lining numbered avenues. On Thursday afternoon, stray cats stalked a weedy patch at the back of the property, which is separated from the GardaWorld building by fences, unkempt foliage and a line of trees.

    A representative of the mobile home park declined to comment.

    The burgled facility, hemmed in on one side by the active train tracks, is owned by World Oil Corp. GardaWorld has been the sole tenant there since the warehouse was built in 2000, according to real estate data firm CoStar.

    World Oil did not respond to requests for comment.

    The GardaWorld episode comes nearly two years after another high-profile Southern California heist: the multimillion-dollar theft of jewelry from a Brink’s big rig at a Grapevine truck stop. There’s debate about the value of those pilfered goods, with estimates ranging from less than $10 million to more than $100 million. The July 2022 crime remains unsolved.

    Rooftop burglaries have been extremely rare in Los Angeles — but there have been some notable ones in recent years. Last summer, burglars broke into Lincoln Fine Wines in Venice via a hole they cut in its roof. The thieves went on to steal about 800 bottles worth about $600,000 — making it one of the biggest wine crimes in California history.

    That incident occurred at the start of the Fourth of July weekend, similar to the Easter thievery at the GardaWorld property. Scott Andrew Selby, co-author of “Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History,” said burglars sometimes strike on and around major holidays.

    “This crew, like others, picked a holiday with fewest eyes paying attention,” he said.

    Times staff writers Ruben Vives and Roger Vincent contributed to this report.

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    Daniel Miller, Richard Winton

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