Detectives Thursday were attempting to locate victims in a series of auto burglaries in West Hollywood and West Los Angeles following the arrests of two suspects.
The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station has noted a rise in auto burglaries, specifically from parking structures, in the past several weeks, said sheriff’s Sgt. Jeffrey Bishop.
West Hollywood detectives were able to identify a suspect vehicle and a license plate through video surveillance, which ultimately lead to the identity of two suspects, a man and a woman, Bishop said. Their identities were not immediately disclosed.
The suspects were arrested on Sunday in Los Angeles after being sought in connection with multiple burglaries by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division. While being booked, the male suspect told officers he and the female suspect were staying at a hotel in Carson, Bishop said.
West Hollywood detectives used the Automated License Plate Recognition system to capture a photo of the suspect vehicle near a hotel in Carson, according to Bishop. Further investigation revealed a room number at the hotel where the pair were staying.
Hotel employees advised authorities that a friend of the suspects recovered all of the property from the hotel on Sunday before detectives could get to the room. Detectives were able to contact that friend, who brought the property to the sheriff’s West Hollywood station and turned it over, Bishop said.
More than 130 pieces of stolen property with an estimated value of $15,000 to $20,000 were recovered, the sergeant said.
Detectives have identified some of the property as belonging to victims from West Hollywood, Culver City, Glendale, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. They’re attempting to identify additional victims of vehicle burglaries to return the property to their rightful owners, Bishop said.
Anyone with information about the burglaries were urged to contact West Hollywood Station sheriff’s Detective Leist at (310) 358-4021.
