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POLICE: SUSPECT'S FAILURE TO 'BUCKLE UP' HELPS CRACK CRIME RING
KNBC , California
Aug 7 2007
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles police say they have captured the leader
of a major crime ring -- and their big break came because of a simple
act of carelessness -- not buckling up.
Convicted burglar Artur Sargsyan, 29, is accused of being the leader
of a Russian-Armenian robbery ring that has targeted truck yards from
Oxnard to Chino.
During a year-long investigation, detectives identified Sargsyan as
the ringleader and on July 25 issued a $1 million warrant for his
arrest, according to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News.
The next day, the Daily News reported, Sargsyan was pulled over in
Burbank for not wearing his seat belt, and when the officer checked
for warrants, he realized he had a big fish.
"These aren't your joyriding car thieves. It is organized crime,"
said Detective Robert Rivera, who works in the Los Angeles Police
Department's Commercial Crimes Division. "It's big. There's a lot of
money involved," Rivera told the Daily News.
Investigators said members of group would use bolt cutters to break
through truck-yard fences, steal big rigs containing valuable goods
and then drive the stolen trucks to a Van Nuys warehouse to unload.
The ring stole nearly $10 million worth of valuables according to
police, including televisions, children's clothes, new tires and a
huge shipment of Gatorade.
A felony complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court charges
Sargsyan with multiple counts, including conspiracy, grand theft and
receiving stolen property, according to the published report.
If convicted, he faces more than 10 years in prison.
Sargsyan is being held in the Los Angeles County Jail on $500,000
bail and he is expected to be arraigned next Monday.
Three others - Manuk Muradkhanyan, 32; Aram Sahakyan, 32; and Tigran
Harutyunyan, 34 - were charged with receiving stolen property in
connection with the case, according to the Daily News report.
KNBC , California
Aug 7 2007
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles police say they have captured the leader
of a major crime ring -- and their big break came because of a simple
act of carelessness -- not buckling up.
Convicted burglar Artur Sargsyan, 29, is accused of being the leader
of a Russian-Armenian robbery ring that has targeted truck yards from
Oxnard to Chino.
During a year-long investigation, detectives identified Sargsyan as
the ringleader and on July 25 issued a $1 million warrant for his
arrest, according to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News.
The next day, the Daily News reported, Sargsyan was pulled over in
Burbank for not wearing his seat belt, and when the officer checked
for warrants, he realized he had a big fish.
"These aren't your joyriding car thieves. It is organized crime,"
said Detective Robert Rivera, who works in the Los Angeles Police
Department's Commercial Crimes Division. "It's big. There's a lot of
money involved," Rivera told the Daily News.
Investigators said members of group would use bolt cutters to break
through truck-yard fences, steal big rigs containing valuable goods
and then drive the stolen trucks to a Van Nuys warehouse to unload.
The ring stole nearly $10 million worth of valuables according to
police, including televisions, children's clothes, new tires and a
huge shipment of Gatorade.
A felony complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court charges
Sargsyan with multiple counts, including conspiracy, grand theft and
receiving stolen property, according to the published report.
If convicted, he faces more than 10 years in prison.
Sargsyan is being held in the Los Angeles County Jail on $500,000
bail and he is expected to be arraigned next Monday.
Three others - Manuk Muradkhanyan, 32; Aram Sahakyan, 32; and Tigran
Harutyunyan, 34 - were charged with receiving stolen property in
connection with the case, according to the Daily News report.