East Division Undercover Operation Catches Bicycle Thief in the Act; Three Stolen Bicycles Recovered
Over the last two weeks, four bicycles were stolen from bike racks at 54th Place and Ocean Blvd. These bicycles were secured with bike locks that the suspects were able to cut through.
On Monday, July 7th, 2014, The East Division Directed Enforcement Team conducted an undercover surveillance operation at the location where the bikes were being stolen. Officers observed a suspect dragging a bike away from the location with a cable lock still attached to the bike that had clearly been cut. The suspect was detained and was found to have a pair of cable cutters in his backpack. The owner was located and confirmed the bicycle had been stolen.
The investigation lead officers to the suspect’s storage unit where they wrote and served a search warrant recovering two more very expensive stolen bicycles each with a street value of approximately $1000.00.
The suspect arrested was identified as Elpidio Vargas, a 47- year-old resident of Long Beach, who was booked on charges of Grand Theft and attempted Petty Theft.
The East Division Directed Enforcement Team should be commended for their efforts to stop these bicycle thefts.
Don’t Become a Victim!
·Always lock your bike to a secure bike rack and utilize a bike lock that cannot be easily cut with cable or bold cutters.
·Keep the receipt and documentation of your bicycle and serial number. In the event it is stolen, it can be easily identified and it is your proof the bicycle belongs to you.
Address/Location
LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT-HEADQUARTERS
400 W Broadway
Long Beach, CA 90802
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 562-435-6711