4 held in lottery ticket thefts at stores
L.A. County sheriff ’s detectives link crew to $250,000 in losses from 44 robberies.
Los Angeles County sheriff ’s detectives investigating a series of strongarm robberies during which thousands of California Lottery Scratchers games were stolen from convenience stores caught a break this month.
On April 11, detectives spotted a vehicle linked to 44 robberies over a nineweek stretch parked outside a 7-Eleven in Arlington Heights, a sheriff ’s spokesperson said Thursday.
There, detectives watched a four-person crew suspected in the thefts pilfer more Scratchers. This time, however, the group’s luck ran out, the Sheriff’s Department said when it announced the arrests of the four.
The Sheriff’s Department said three adults and one juvenile were booked on suspicion of robbery. The adults were arraigned last week, and are being held in lieu of $100,000 bail each. The minor was being held at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. No date was released for the juvenile’s arraignment.
The Sheriff’s Department
did not release the names of the three adults for fear of jeopardizing an ongoing investigation, a department spokesperson said. The department does not release the names of juvenile suspects.
The total loss from the robberies was more than $250,000, with $90,000 of that total coming through cashed stolen Scratchers.
Representatives from 7Eleven did not respond to an email regarding store safety.
The Sheriff’s Department
released a video of the final attempted robbery.
A suspect appears to jump over the counter and begin to reach for the drawers containing California Lotto tickets.
A nearby attendant, who was sitting on a packing crate in front of the cash register, jumps off and backpedals toward the corner of the store, where there appear to be two other employees.
The first assailant pulls out the drawers and tosses them to another person on
the other counter.
The duo take five boxes full of Scratchers while leaving behind a portion of a sixth one. The Sheriff ’s Department said more than $3,000 worth of tickets was taken.
In total, the foursome is suspected of hitting 42 7-Eleven locations and two Circle Ks across Los Angeles County, with most of the activity taking place in the city of Los Angeles, according to the sheriff ’s spokesperson. side of the