By Clara Harter
Los Angeles Occasions
LOS ANGELES — They could have regarded like innocuous {hardware} shops from the surface, however inside these two L.A. County storefronts was an estimated $4.5 million value of products stolen from trains, vehicles and cargo ships, in line with the Los Angeles Police Division .
On Wednesday, Police Chief Jim McDonnell introduced that the division had busted a large cargo theft ring working out of DJ Normal Software & Wire’s Montebello and Huntington Park areas. The stolen items included energy instruments, e-bikes and home equipment from manufacturers reminiscent of Dyson, Milwaukee , DeWalt and Makita, police mentioned.
The enterprise’ proprietor, 41-year-old Dojoon Park of Montebello , was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, and the L.A. County district lawyer’s workplace intends to file hefty expenses.
“We’re within the means of absolutely evaluating the crimes that he has dedicated, and we anticipate expenses being introduced in opposition to him … that can contain most sentences of years of state jail time,” Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman mentioned at a information convention.
The Union Pacific Police Division and Los Angeles Port Police are collaborating with the LAPD within the investigation, serving to hyperlink cargo theft incidents to the products being bought at Park’s shops and by his enterprise on on-line platforms, authorities mentioned.
“It’s additionally necessary to keep in mind that cargo theft is just not a victimless crime,” McDonnell mentioned. “It impacts retailers, distributors and in the end all of us customers. Defending the integrity of our provide chain is important to public security in addition to the financial stability of Los Angeles .”
Hochman mentioned he hoped the bust sends a powerful message to these concerned in any facet of cargo theft or the reselling of stolen items: “We are going to take you down.”
“In the event you’re on the market on the tracks proper now pondering you’ll be able to go forward and rip off Union Pacific or BNSF or any of the railroads, suppose otherwise,” he mentioned. “In the event you’re receiving these stolen items, look over your shoulder, as a result of the following commissary that you simply take care of is just not going to be an internet market, it’ll be a commissary of a jail or a jail.”
The investigation into DJ Normal Software & Wire is ongoing, and police say extra arrests are forthcoming within the fencing operation.
“All the people which can be concerned, from the inception of the theft, the provisioning of the theft … the eventual transport to the fencing operation, they’re all prone to being arrested and charged — and charged vigorously,” LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton mentioned.
Hochman mentioned it was his precedence to crack down on cargo theft and be sure that Los Angeles can uphold its popularity as among the finest port cities for firms bringing items into America.
This 12 months, the LAPD mentioned it recovered almost $4 million in cargo stolen by an organized crime ring, together with $2.7 million value of bitcoin-mining computer systems.
Detectives say they’ve noticed growing sophistication lately in how criminals divert and intercept precious items being trucked into and out of Southern California .
Occasions employees author Richard Winton contributed to this report.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed “Sherrill’s Legislation” alongside troopers and the household of Workers Sgt. Jesse Sherrill, a veteran state trooper who was killed whereas working a development element
Baldwinsville PD Chief Mike Lefancheck mentioned the 2 residents would have “seemingly been significantly injured or perished” if not for the efforts of Sgt. Jason Guinn and Officer Dylan Hardesty
Lt. Donald Bossi was hit by a stolen motorbike and “propelled” 45 toes from the influence on June 21
This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times .
©2025 Los Angeles Occasions. Go to latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
