ANOTHER RETAILER HIT BY THIEVES.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer TARZANA - For the third time in less than a week, a Russian organized crime syndicate is suspected of burglarizing a San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. retailer, getting away with a safe filled with more than $500,000 in merchandise, officials said Wednesday. Using blunt tools, the thieves smashed through a wall that gave them access to Big Ben Jewelers in the 19400 block of Ventura Blvd. about 3:15 a.m. Tuesday. The heist is believed to be the work of Russian organized criminals who have been connected to similar predawn pre·dawn n. The time just before dawn. pre  dawn adj. burglaries on Jan. 8 at Valley Discount Jewelers in North Hollywood, and on Jan. 9 at Lane Limited tobacco warehouse in Sylmar. In the earlier incidents, the suspects got away with more than $1 million in jewelry jewelry, personal adornments worn for ornament or utility, to show rank or wealth, or to follow superstitious custom or fashion. The most universal forms of jewelry are the necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, and earring. and tobacco products. ``It's organized crime,'' said LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. Detective Bill Longacre, from the Commercial Crimes Division. ``Typically, the stolen property is gone within 10 hours or less. It's out of their hands. They've gotten their payment, and the property is now in the hands of a receiver or the money man.'' In the incidents, the thieves chopped small holes in the roofs of the buildings to survey the business, police said. Once they saw the layout, the thieves broke into adjacent businesses, disabled the alarm systems and cut through walls to enter the target businesses. At the tobacco warehouse, detectives believe, the suspects used two big rigs Big Rig was a punk band from the San Francisco Bay Area fronted by singer/songwriter Jesse Michaels. Michaels performed with the group after the break up of his previous project, Operation Ivy, and before forming the band Common Rider. to escape with pallets full of tobacco products. Two forklifts were also stolen off the warehouse floor. Police said they were notifying pawn shops a shop where a pawnbroker does business. - Shak. See also: Pawn , swap meets swap meet n. An informal gathering for the barter or sale of used articles or handicrafts. and second-hand stores to be on the look out for unusual jewelry. Police were also to post photos of some of the stolen items on the LAPD Web site, at www.lapdonline.com. Detectives also were contacting burglary detectives at the Valley's five divisions to see if there had been any similar crimes. Anyone with information about the burglary ring is asked to call Longacre at the LAPD's Commercial Crimes Division, (213) 485-2524. Jason Kandel, (818) 713-3664 jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com |
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