Eight suspects who stole more than $1.7 million in luxury goods were sentenced this week for “smash and grab” style robberies they committed at high-end retail stores in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties.
Between May and August 2023, a group of nine robbed the stores overnight including Nordstrom, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, and those at an upscale Burbank shopping area called Magnolia Park.
“This was not a one-off shoplifting offense, it was a dangerous, coordinated scheme. These crimes hurt our businesses and pose a serious threat to our communities,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the press release.
Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said the guilty pleas come thanks to efforts between the state’s Department of Justice and its Organized Retail Crimes Task Force—which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies—which are working together to curb retail crime in the state.
“These outcomes are a testament to our unwavering commitment to protecting the public and upholding the law,” he said in the press release.
Glendale Police Chief Manuel Cid said such crimes “will not be tolerated” in Glendale and thanked Mr. Bonta’s office and the Los Angeles Police Department for partnering with them to curb such crimes.
“Rest assured we have and will continue to bring all of our resources to bear on this issue,” Cid said.
Those sentenced were: Jordan Harris, Kip Henry, Devon Perry, Ziona Famoso, Alana Hart, Travelle Hamblet, Jason Smith, and Brianna Jimenez. Authorities did not provide their ages or their current city of residence.
Sentences ranged from one year to 10 years in state prison. The ninth defendant, Ivan Ramirez, will be sentenced in 2025.
Agencies who assisted with the investigation, leading to the suspects arrests were: the Glendale, Burbank, Beverly Hills, Torrance, Newport Beach police departments; the Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail Theft Task Force and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
