Authorities in Southern California arrested two people earlier this week that are accused of stealing $9.5 million worth of merchandise from more than a dozen big box retailers.
kali9/Getty ImagesAuthorities in Southern California arrested two people earlier this week who are accused of stealing $9.5 million in merchandise from more than a dozen big box retailers, according to several news outlets.
CBS Los Angeles (KCAL-TV) reported that the two individuals from Downey were arrested Tuesday after officers with the California Highway Patrol raided several locations tied to their “organized cargo theft ring.” The outlet said recovered merchandise included shoes, clothing, electronics and perishable items. CBS Los Angeles also reported that the $9.5 million figure is an initial estimate, and that authorities are still calculating the final total.
KTLA-TV reported that authorities believe one of the individuals is connected to a raid from earlier this year, where troopers with the agency’s Southern Division Theft Interdiction Program recovered another $9 million in stolen merchandise. KTLA also reported that the locations raided in this week’s bust were all in Los Angeles County. Authorities did not disclose which retailers the items were allegedly stolen from.
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The bust happened just a day before CHP announced that it will be ramping up the number of both uniformed and undercover officers who will patrol stores in “key retail districts” throughout California during the holiday season, according to a report from the Los Angeles Daily News.
“Merchants and consumers can expect to see an increase in patrols both in high visibility and undercover capacities as we work to combat retail theft throughout the holiday season,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said during Wednesday’s announcement, according to the outlet. “This is a time for law enforcement to help Californians feel safe.”
Duryee also said his agency has recovered 420,000 stolen items valued at $33 million in the time since Gov. Gavin Newsom started the Organized Retail Crime Task Force in 2019. Those efforts have resulted in 2,200 investigations that led to at least 1,500 arrests statewide, Duryee said.