Looking for your stolen iPhone? LAPD recovers hundreds of devices in retail bust
Are you missing a pricey Apple phone, tablet or computer?
Is your “Find My†search in Los Angeles hitting a dead end? Better double-check, because the device’s location might be the police station.
Los Angeles Police Department detectives say they recovered hundreds of electronic devices while executing a search warrant for stolen merchandise Wednesday at a Westlake storefront. Although some of the goods appear to have been taken from retailers, the LAPD said, most came from burglaries that targeted cars and homes in the L.A. area.
During the search in the 2000 block of W. 6th Street, detectives from the LAPD’s Rampart Division arrested a woman suspected of receiving property stolen from retailers. Initially, police recovered a substantial amount of merchandise believed to have been taken from stores, but officers later observed several bookcases, storage bins and bags filled with personal devices such as laptops, iPads, and iPhones.
In a post on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, LAPD Commander Lillian Carranza stated that the search warrant was part of an operation that recovered $300,000 worth of items from “premises receiving stolen property taken during organized retail theft.†Carranza explained that the operation targeted flash-mob thieves, street vendors and retailers receiving stolen goods.
Home Depot’s ex-CEO complained that retail theft is making the U.S. a ‘lawless society,’ but his company just paid millions to settle charges that it lawlessly cheated workers of pay.
Retailers in California say they’re suffering from a growing amount of theft, prompting Sacramento lawmakers to schedule a meeting to explore policy solutions for retail-related crimes. The California Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft was scheduled to hold its first hearing Monday.
“What is happening in our communities is unacceptable, and we must act with urgency,†Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles) said in a statement. “The Select Committee was formed to do just that — to listen to the experts and those in our communities who are impacted.â€
In Wednesday’s search, however, police found more than 200 devices by Apple and other manufacturers that had been stolen from people’s cars and homes, not from stores, they said.
For example, one recovered Apple Macbook, along with thousands of dollars worth of cameras and other photographic equipment, was from a November car theft near Echo Park. Police were able to identify the owner by looking at some of the footage that had been shot on the cameras. Ten other computers were traced back to local school districts and the Los Angeles Public Library.
But the rightful owners of most of the devices remain a mystery to the LAPD, and detectives are seeking the public’s help in identifying them — as well as linking the stolen items to suspects.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Rampart Det. B. Gordy at (213) 842-0783 or [email protected], or Det. M. Pineda at (213) 484-3424 or [email protected]. After normal business hours and on weekends, calls should go to (877) 527-3247. Anonymous tips can be left at 800-222-TIPS.
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LAPD statistics show that reported burglaries, thefts and other property crimes have risen slightly this year. As of Dec. 9, there were 98,810 instances of burglary, car theft, theft from vehicles and personal theft citywide, according to the department. That’s an increase of 2% from 2022.
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