Local LAPD detectives put out the following alert yesterday, seeking the community’s help in identifying a grand theft auto suspect after a vehicle was stolen in the Miracle Mile area. If you have any information about the crime or the suspect, please call the numbers below:
On May 21, 2018, a Black male suspect with black hair and brown eyes, standing approximately 5-feet-8-inches tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds, with a mustache and goatee, between the ages of 20-30, snuck into the parking garage in the 300 south block of Cloverdale Avenue. He began checking doors of parked cars, looking for anything unlocked. Within just a few minutes, he found just what he was seeking—an unlocked sport utility vehicle with a set of keys inside. The keys led the suspect to a 2015 Mazda CX5, license plate 7JES016, parked in tandem with the unlocked SUV. He unlocked the Mazda, slipped inside and drove off. The vehicle, and the suspect, are still both at large.
“If the first car had been locked, this guy would have probably kept moving,” said Detective Sal Loera, Wilshire’s autos coordinator. “But once he was inside, it was a goldmine. He didn’t even really have to look too hard. He just moved to the next car, opened it up and vanished.” In a lucky break, the apartment security cameras recorded the suspect’s entrance and showed him committing the crimes. With that footage, officers are now looking for the car and the man who stole it.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect should contact Wilshire auto detectives at 213-922-8205 and if they see the vehicle, they should call 911. “The cameras are a huge help,” Loera said. “But what helps even more is preventing the crime in the first place—keep your cars locked and your keys stored elsewhere. Don’t give these bad guys any opportunities to take your stuff.”
