The perfect heist? Inside the seamless, sophisticated, stealthy L.A. theft that netted up to $30 million
Federal and local law enforcement officials have descended on a nondescript warehouse in the San Fernando Valley, where one of the biggest heists in Los Angeles history occurred Easter Sunday.
Officials and crime experts said the operation appears to have been highly sophisticated, with the burglars making off with what sources estimate was between $20 million and $30 million.
They targeted a Gardaworld building on Roxford Street in Sylmar, accessing a vault where huge sums of cash were stored.
The FBI and Los Angeles Police Department have released little information about the heist, and they have not announced any suspects in the massive theft.
Thieves stole as much as $30 million Sunday night at a facility in Sylmar where cash from businesses across the region is handled and stored.
Here are some key questions they are trying to sort out:
How was this facility targeted?
Gardaworld describes itself as a “global champion in security services, integrated risk management and cash solutions, employing more than 132,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals.” Among its businesses is cash management and vault services.
The Canada-based security company has not responded to requests for comment.
The L.A. location is in a quiet suburban area, and the burglars struck on a holiday.
The operators of the business did not discover the massive theft until they opened the vault Monday.
It’s unclear how much cash was stored in the facility and whether the thieves took it all.
Sources said it was not common knowledge that the building contained a cash vault.
A man accused of talking his way past the front desks of posh Beverly Hills hotels and walking off with millions of dollars in jewelry admitted Tuesday that he stole a guest’s diamond necklace valued at $395,000.
How did they get in?
Officials said the burglars appeared to enter through the roof.
At least one alarm was triggered during the crime, but it was not connected to local law enforcement, according to a source familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.
In any case, the thieves were able to get in and out without anyone knowing.
There was also a hole in the side of the building covered by a piece of plywood. A law enforcement source confirmed to The Times there was an effort to breach the side but it was not clear how that area was used in the heist.
What about the crew?
Experts believe investigators are already looking for similar heists around the globe for possible connections.
Police are also seeking video surveillance from the surrounding area.
It has “all the markings of a really well-thought-out job” performed by a “professional crew,” according to Scott Andrew Selby, co-author of “Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History.”
Selby said it is possible the thieves had some inside intelligence about the layout and security of the facility.
John McEarchan, a former FBI agent, agreed. He helped investigate what was long considered the largest cash robbery in Los Angeles: the Sept. 12, 1997, theft of $18.9 million from the former site of the Dunbar Armored facility on Mateo Street. Those behind the incident eventually were caught.
“In something like this, you have got to look at employees first and an internal theft. Someone knows the weakness of the facility — where they should enter, what areas may not be alarmed or [have] motion detectors. There shouldn’t be a square inch that isn’t on video,” he said. “Someone knows the layout. I would not be surprised [if] it leads to a current or former employee being involved.”
It took just 27 minutes to steal tens of millions in jewelry and gemstones from a Brink’s trailer in Lebec, Calif.
Is the cash traceable?
Selby said whether the stolen money is traceable depends on whether there are records of serial numbers or if the cash that was collected is already in circulation.
But the money could yield other clues.
“With touch DNA, the slightest mistake can expose the identity of a member of the crew, leading authorities to eventually identify their associates,” Selby said.
Added McEarchan: “This is a lot of money. I use the analogy: We have stolen the circus elephant; where do you hide it.
“There aren’t many places this amount of cash can go.”
What did neighbors see or hear?
The bandits were able to complete the heist without anyone figure out what happened.
But there might have been a few indicators something was amiss.
One resident of Tahitian Mobile Home Park in Sylmar reported hearing a strange mechanical sound around the time of the heist.
George Alhosry, who owns the Kwik Market & Deli on Roxford, said the store’s Wi-Fi was down much of Sunday. It’s unclear whether that was connected to the heist. But Wi-Fi jammers have become a common tool of theft gangs during their burglaries of homes in Southern California because they knock out many security cameras that could capture video or stills of them or their vehicles.
Times staff writer Daniel Miller contributed to this report.
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