After a Southern California store was targeted by a shoplifter, the owner decided to feature the thief as the star of his latest clothing collection.

On Dec. 28, 2023, surveillance cameras captured the male shoplifter entering Vardagen, located on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, in broad daylight.

He quickly snatches a sweatshirt and another item from a display rack near the store’s entrance before calmly walking away.

Jared Ingold, the shop’s owner, decided to use the crime to his advantage by creating a new clothing collection called “Wanted,” featuring a caricature of the suspect front and center.

“Being a small business owner, we have the theme of entrepreneurship kind of woven throughout the brand, and so it’s just ups and downs and things you deal with,” Ingold said.

Since opening seven years ago, Ingold said his shop has been constantly targeted by shoplifters and smash-and-grab robbers. 

The male suspect who inspired the new collection has not been arrested.

“We looked at the security tapes and we thought it was kind of funny because we couldn’t quite make him out,” Ingold said of the thief.

The distinct cartoon image of the bald, mustachioed thief is now emblazoned on t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, pants and beanies.

Since the collection debuted over the weekend, Ingold said customers are enjoying the unique design and have been eagerly buying the new merchandise.

“We’re not trying to attack anyone. It’s not so much about a singular person because there’s been a lot of people who have stolen from us,” he explained. “It’s more just commentary — an artistic take about what goes on.”

Ingold said he doesn’t plan on pressing charges over the petty theft, but said he has spotted the suspect roaming around the Venice area.

“Actually, that was the first time we ever saw him, but we have seen him around more recently as some people recognize him because he’s around on the streets,” he said.

Nathan Hochman was officially sworn in as the 44^th Los Angeles County District Attorney on Tuesday during the ceremony on the front steps of the Hall of Justice.

Hochman replaces former District Attorney George Gascón, who lost his reelection bid in a landslide in November.

Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger officially swore in Hochman. During the ceremony, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, and other local leaders spoke.

Among many issues Hochman has inherited from the previous DA, none may be more high-profile than the Menendez brothers’ murder case.

In October, Gascón announced that he would support resentencing the brothers, who have spent nearly 35 years behind bars for killing their parents.

 Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted to fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez, after fearing their parents were about to kill them to stop people from finding out that Jose Menendez had sexually abused Erik Menendez for years, according to the Associated Press.

The resentencing recommendation could provide the brothers a chance at freedom after spending over three decades in jail. In 1996, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In an exclusive sit-down interview with KTLA in November, Hochman outlined his plans for navigating the case.

“Here’s my approach, whether it’s the Menendez case or quite honestly any case: you have to do the hard work,” he told KTLA on Wednesday morning. “You have to look, in that case, at thousands of pages of confidential prison files, you have to review thousands of trial transcripts from months-long trials, and you have to speak to the prosecutors, law enforcement and the defense counsel…and the victims’ families.”

“Only then can you be in a position to determine whether resentencing is the remedy in this situation or whether what is asked for in the resentencing is the appropriate request,” Hochman continued. “I’m not in that position now, but I can tell you if I do have to make that call, I will do the hard work to make the right decision.”

L.A. County’s new D.A. also vowed to eliminate “pro-criminal extreme policies and empower the 750 prosecutors Gascón didn’t even speak to.”

“I am going to listen and learn from them [because] they bring collectively thousands of years of prosecutorial experience, and while I have 34 years, I understand the difference. So I will ask them what is working and we will continue it, and [I will ask] what’s not working and their solutions to fix [those problems.]” Hochman said.

One person died and four others were injured when a pursuit came to a tragic end in Orange County’s Fountain Valley Monday night.

It was unclear when the chase began but around 10 p.m. the suspect’s pickup truck slammed into another vehicle and overturned at Ellis Avenue and Magnolia Street.

Video from the scene showed a white BMW was badly damaged in the crash.

Fountain Valley police confirmed that one person was killed with at least four others injured and taken to area hospitals.

It was unclear which vehicle the deceased person was in at the time of the crash.

The driver of the pickup truck was taken into custody.

There was no immediate word on what prompted the pursuit.