‘Blessing scam’ suspects tied to string of L.A. street thefts, robberies arrested

A person and girl tied to a string of road thefts and robberies had been arrested in reference to “a road blessing rip-off,” police stated Wednesday,

Authorities at the moment are looking for considered one of their victims whose jewellery was stolen.

Claudiu Stoian, 27, and Madalina Paun, 24, had been arrested on Tuesday after detectives noticed them method a sufferer on the sidewalk within the space of twelfth Road and Burlington, take the sufferer’s jewellery and drive away, in line with the Los Angeles Police Division.

Officers pulled them over and located jewellery, cash and “different proof used to commit the crimes” of their rental car, LAPD stated. There have been additionally two younger kids within the automotive with them after they had been taken into custody.

The 2 suspects are linked to a collection of road robberies and thefts from folks within the Pico Union, Westlake and Historic Filipinotown Districts of Los Angeles, LAPD stated.

Detectives at the moment are investigating over two dozen circumstances within the space, going again to February 2021.

The suspects often drive round in an SUV, with the male driver, a feminine passenger within the again and a number of younger kids in automotive seats.

They then pull up subsequent to folks strolling on the sidewalk and name them over to their automotive.

The girl, nonetheless seated within the again seat, asks to “bless” the sufferer’s jewellery or cash. She then pulls the the gadgets off, “whereas concurrently putting beauty jewellery and/or taped up items of lottery tickets into the sufferer’s clothes,” police stated.

Police stated the person brandished a handgun in at the least one of many incidents.

And on two events, the girl “blew an unknown substance within the sufferer’s faces, which induced disorientation,” LAPD officers stated.

The victims are sometimes seniors or folks with particular wants. The suspects sometimes additionally goal Spanish-speaking victims round church buildings, police stated.

LAPD requested for public’s assist in figuring out one of many victims, described as being a Hispanic girl in her 30s with chin-length dyed blond hair.

Stoian and Paun, each residents of Washington, had been arrested on suspicion of theft.

Detectives consider that there are further suspects on the market, in addition to unidentified victims.

Anybody with data concerning is urged to name Rampart Theft Detective A. Trimino at 213-484-3631 or Detective III E. Ignacio at 213-484-3627.