Los Angeles, Ca
Warhol print of Vladimir Lenin worth $200K stolen in Southern California recovered
A 58-year-old man who formerly lived in downtown Los Angeles pleaded guilty to trafficking a stolen Andy Warhol print worth at least $175,000, officials with the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Central District of California Office say the Warhol print of former Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin, which was number 44 out of 46 prints the famous artist made, was stolen out of an L.A. County home in early 2021.
According to a DOJ news release, the person who owned the artwork reported the theft to law enforcement, as well as to the West Hollywood gallery where the print was purchased.
Days after the Warhol print was stolen, the thief sold it to a pawn shop who contacted Brian Alec Light, now a resident of Hudson, Ohio for help selling the piece.
Light, who was aware the artwork was stolen, arranged for it to be sold at an auction house within weeks of the theft, prosecutors said.
“Light told the pawn shop owner to drop off the Warhol at the auction house in Beverly Hills so that it could be transported to Dallas for inspection and sale, which the pawn shop owner did,” the release noted.
When an employee of the Dallas-based auction house, who planned on including the Warhol print in a spring 2021 auction, contacted the West Hollywood gallery for its opinion on the piece, the gallery immediately recognized the stolen Warhol artwork and subsequently informed the Dallas-based auction house and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“When the FBI questioned Light about it, he lied and created a fake receipt purporting to show that he bought the print before it was stolen,” prosecutors said.
Light faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison, and as part of his plea agreement, the 58-year-old “will forfeit the stolen artwork retrieved by law enforcement.”
The investigation, which is being conducted by the FBI’s Art Crime Team, is ongoing.
Los Angeles, Ca
Vehicle, 2 occupants plunge into crowded Southern California harbor
Two people were taken to the hospital after a vehicle they were inside plunged into the harbor Sunday night in Marina Del Rey, officials confirmed to KTLA.
Details are limited and It’s unclear exactly how the incident occurred, but authorities with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to 4675 Admiralty Way just after 6 p.m. on reports of the vehicle in the water.
L.A. County Fire Department Public Information Officer Marco Rodriguez said the two occupants were able to get themselves out of the vehicle after it went into the water.
Both were examined by medical personnel with the fire department and taken to a nearby hospital in unknown condition.
Rodriguez said that two L.A. County Lifeguard divers were deployed to ensure there were no other occupants trapped in the vehicle.
A witness, Johnny Hamcheck, told KTLA that a third person, a woman, exited the vehicle before it went into water, though officials did not confirm that detail.
Footage of the recovery effort showed crews attaching large yellow floating devices to the vehicle as it was anchored to a crane and eventually pulled out of the water and loaded onto a tow truck.
The vehicle showed heavy front-end damage, presumably from crashing through the steel railing and into the water.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing and no further details were provided.
Los Angeles, Ca
Armed robbers hit couple in broad daylight on high-end Beverly Hills street
Two people were hospitalized after a broad daylight armed robbery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills Sunday, police confirmed to KTLA.
Officers with the Beverly Hills Police Department responded to the 400 block of North Rodeo Drive, at the intersection of Brighton Way just before 1:30 p.m. on reports of the incident.
According to a BHPD news release, a man and a woman were waiting outside a boutique when they were approached by four suspects, one of whom pulled out a gun during a physical altercation between the victims and the suspects.
“During the altercation, the suspects forcibly took two designer handbags – one from each victim – containing cash and cellphones,” police said. “One cellphone was recovered nearby. The suspects also attempted to steal the male victim’s jewelry but were unsuccessful.”
In video of a portion of the incident obtained by KTLA, four suspects all wearing dark clothing and hooded sweatshirts can be seen running from the scene. At least one of the suspects has an item, possibly one of the handbags, in his hands.
The crew was last seen running up Rodeo Drive and ducking into an alleyway.
It is unclear if anyone was injured, but the male victim was seen on the ground as the victim and another person knelt over him, one of which was yelling for help.
Medical personnel with the Beverly Hills Fire Department responded to the incident, but authorities said the man and woman sought their own medical attention at a local hospital.
Their conditions were not immediately available.
An investigation into the robbery remains ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact BHPD at 310-285-2125. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.com.
Los Angeles, Ca
Authorities searching for at-risk missing teen last seen in Lancaster
Authorities in Los Angeles County are searching for a teenage girl they say could be at risk.
According to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, 13-year-old Aleah Ashley Salgado was last seen at 11 p.m. Friday night on the 3000 block of East Avenue H-2 in Lancaster.
Authorities say her family is concerned for her well being.
Salgado was described as Hispanic, 5-foot-4 and 120 pounds, with long black wavy hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, grey sweatpants and black shoes.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lancaster Station at 661-948-8466.
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