Los Angeles, Ca
Nearly 200 retail theft cases filed in L.A. County last year, Gascón says
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said it filed nearly 200 cases related to organized retail theft last year.
The charges are part of county and statewide efforts to crack down on the growing number of retail thefts and smash-and-grab burglaries. Regional law enforcement agencies have created specialized task forces to track down and arrest those who take part in the crimes.
District Attorney George Gascón held a press conference Thursday to discuss the cases and what was accomplished in 2023.
In a news release issued later in the day, Gascón said retail thefts were not victimless crimes, saying that they cause financial losses to retailers and local businesses while damaging the “community’s sense of security while shopping.”
“We want businesses to succeed and for Angelenos to feel safe while they’re out in public. Filing these cases is just the beginning of my office’s work toward deterring these types of crimes in order to make Los Angeles County a safer place,” Gascón said, adding that his office is committed to helping law enforcement track down those responsible and ensure they are held accountable.
The cases were filed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023 and involved adults and juveniles, the D.A.’s Office said.
The majority of the cases involve multiple defendants who worked together to steal from stores with the intent to sell what they took. Those circumstances qualify the crimes as felonies, officials said.
While some cases are pending, sentences can range from probation to state prison.
Stores that have been targeted and were victims in the cases include the 99 Cents Only Store, American Eagle, Kohls, Macy’s, Nike, Nordstrom, Old Navy, Sephora, Target, Ulta and Victoria’s Secret. Small businesses are also among those cases.
The D.A.’s Office said it has worked with law enforcement partners to recover and return millions of dollars worth of stolen goods to retailers. Two of the largest busts involved $188,000 worth of product returned to Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills and $250,000 in merchandise recovered and given back to Kevin Jewelers.
Target and CVS also had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods returned last year.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said the regional task force to curb retail theft has “restored much” of the feeling of safety and security taken away from L.A. residents and business owners.
“I am proud of the hard work and dedication to public safety of those not only from the Los Angeles Police Department, but our partnering agencies as well,” Moore said. “As public servants, we cannot work in silos; we cannot work alone. Public safety belongs to all of us.”
One of those partner agencies is the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Since it was established, the Sheriff’s Organized Retail Crimes Task Force has arrested 438 suspects related to retail theft, with 309 cases successfully filed, according to LASD Major Crimes Bureau Captain Rob Peacock.
Peacock says it’s not just the shoplifters who are being targeted by local law enforcement.
“We are not only focused on the individuals responsible for the thefts, but those that are in the criminal chain—the getaway drivers, those that harbor them, and those that sell the stolen merchandise,” he said. “These individuals need to understand that there will be consequences—we will use all our resources to identify, pursue, and arrest these suspects.”
As retail crime thefts continue to be a problem across the Los Angeles area, authorities are asking for the public’s help to bring a stop to them.
Anyone with information about these types of crimes in L.A. County is encouraged to contact the LAPD Organized Retail Theft Task Force by email or by calling at 818-374-9420. The LASD Organized Retail Crime Task Force can be reached by email or at 562-946-7270.
Anonymous tips can be made online or by calling 800-222-8477.
A hospital needs help identifying a male patient who was found injured and unconscious in downtown Los Angeles.
The man is believed to be in his 30s, according to the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
He was found injured on the ground on Omar Street and has been hospitalized since June 22.
He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 176 pounds. He has brown eyes, dark brown hair and tattoos across his upper body.
He did not have any personal belongings to help staff identify him or contact loved ones. Workers did not disclose the nature of his injuries.
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call clinical social worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6885.
The public can also call the L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253 or, after hours from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., call 323-409-6883. On weekends, call 323-409-5254.
Police are asking the public for help Wednesday in identifying a hit-and-run driver who left a woman badly injured in Long Beach late last month. The May 24 crash occurred around 11 p.m. as the victim was crossing East 2nd Street, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Video provided by police showed a dark-colored […]
WARNING: Video footage contains graphic violence
A 62-year-old street vendor is recovering after a brutally violent attack by another woman in broad daylight as bystanders in downtown Los Angeles looked on.
The attack happened around 4 p.m. on June 15 in the 700 block of Figueroa Street, where Arabelia Martinez has sold hot dogs for years to support herself and her family.
Video of the incident, which has since circulated widely online, appears to show a woman confronting Martinez at her stand before spraying sauce across the vendor’s cart. Martinez responds by throwing what appears to be Tajín seasoning in the woman’s direction, and the confrontation quickly escalates.
The difficult-to-watch footage shows Martinez being shoved to the ground and struck multiple times as people look on. Some can be seen attempting to intervene, but the assault continues for roughly a minute before coming to an end.
“I was speechless,” Martinez’s son, Constantino Garcia, said after watching the video. “I couldn’t even see the whole thing.”
According to Garcia, the suspect approached his mother before the attack and attempted to intimidate her into giving her money.
“The lady came up to my mom trying to intimidate her and extort her for money, telling her she needed a permit to sell, which my mom does have,” Garcia told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo.
When Martinez refused, Garcia claims the woman became verbally abusive.
“After she didn’t get her way and tried to extort my mom, she said, ‘Go back to Mexico,’ and made some racist remarks,” he said. “She said some disgusting things to my mom.”
Garcia said his mother continues to suffer lingering effects from the attack.
“She keeps complaining about her head,” he said. “We need to go see a head specialist because her head doesn’t stop hurting. As you could see in the video, she got slammed to the ground.”
-
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia)
The video has also sparked outrage over the response from some witnesses who were nearby during the assault.
“What’s going on with our society?” Garcia said. “Are we getting desensitized to an elderly woman being beaten in broad daylight and being surrounded by people doing the bare minimum to help her? That was horrible for me to watch.”
Witness Sebastian Gutierrez said he arrived moments after the confrontation and saw Garcia’s attacker causing additional chaos in the area.
“The lady began to flip over the tables of vendors,” Gutierrez said, describing the woman as possibly unstable. “It definitely seemed like there were mental health issues or drugs involved, like we see with a lot of things here in downtown L.A.,” he said.
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched a battery investigation into the incident KTLA confirmed, though no suspect information or news of a potential arrest has been released.
Meanwhile, Martinez’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with her recovery and raise awareness about the dangers street vendors face daily.
“I hope that my mom gets justice for what happened to her,” Garcia said. He added that he’s been encouraged by the public response to the video.
“I’m grateful people are sympathizing with my mom,” he said. “People are giving it the attention it deserves.”
-
Detroit, MI14 minutes agoWould Detroit Lions Salary Cap Be Wrecked If Terrion Arnold Gets Cut?
-
San Francisco, CA24 minutes agoTwo more Presidio Heights homes reach $10M range as luxury supply dwindles
-
Dallas, TX29 minutes agoOne Dallas Cowboys Contract That Will Age Poorly in 2026
-
Miami, FL36 minutes agoLive updates: Today’s South Florida News
-
Boston, MA39 minutes agoA federal judge in Boston has blocked parts of Trump’s order to limit voting by mail
-
Denver, CO44 minutes agoDenver Transplant Games sets Guinness World Record for most living donors, recipients in one place at one time
-
Seattle, WA51 minutes ago17-year-old boy shot in High Point, multiple suspects seen running from crashed car
-
San Diego, CA54 minutes agoFoodie forecast: A new cafe opens in La Jolla’s Arcade building
