District Attorney Vows to Combat Organized Crime, ORCTF Makes Arrests
By Dolores Quintana
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today that charges have been filed against four individuals in connection with organized retail thefts at two Ross Dress for Less stores in late August.
District Attorney Gascón stated, “The Organized Retail Crime Taskforce and my office’s Organized Crime Division are steadfastly committed to vigorously prosecuting those involved in these audacious crimes. Such criminal activities place an immense strain on our local businesses and pose a threat to our entire community. My office will not tolerate this blatant disregard for the law and the adverse impact it inflicts on our economy and neighborhoods.”
The four defendants facing charges are:
- Valentino Skinner (DOB: 05/12/2001)
- Marquis Marshall (DOB: 05/04/1992)
- Isaiah Tobias (DOB: 09/23/1990)
- Avery Tywann (DOB: 08/06/1980)
Each of the defendants has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and two counts of second-degree robbery. Additionally, Skinner and Marshall face two counts of grand theft. Marshall and Tobias face charges that include special allegations of one or more serious or violent felony convictions.
At their respective arraignments in Department 30 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on August 30, Skinner, Marquis, and Avery entered pleas of not guilty. Tobias pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the same courthouse on August 31. Preliminary hearings for all four defendants have been scheduled for September 13 in Department 37 of the Foltz Center.
The alleged incidents occurred as follows:
- On August 25, 2023, Skinner and Marshall purportedly drove to the Ross Dress for Less store located at 8985 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. They are accused of entering the store and taking merchandise in the presence of store employees.
- On August 28, 2023, around 6:17 p.m., prosecutors assert that Skinner, Marshall, and Tobias entered the Ross Dress for Less store at 10818 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, and immediately began taking merchandise without making any payments. Avery allegedly waited in a getaway car. Subsequently, all defendants purportedly drove together to the area of Alvarado and 8th Street, a known location for the resale of stolen items.
Individuals with information regarding these incidents or additional suspects’ identities are encouraged to contact the Organized Retail Crime Task Force at (818) 374-9420. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Those wishing to maintain anonymity may reach out to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).
Case BA517537 is under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail Crime Taskforce, which includes deputy district attorneys from LADA’s Organized Crime Division and investigators from the office’s Bureau of Investigation.
