Plain Clothes Shoplifting Operations by Joint Organized Retail Crime Taskforce NR23764ti

Los Angeles: On August 21, 2023, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Commercial Crimes Division commenced the Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCT) in an attempt to resolve the issue of “Flash-Rob” method retail crime incidents conducted by multiple suspects targeting various retail establishments throughout the Los Angeles region. The ORCT consists of LAPD Detectives and Officers, and Detectives from Torrance, Beverly Hills, Burbank, and Santa Monica Police Departments.

One of the ORCT strategies in resolving organized retail crime is the utilization of plain clothes operations where officers work with the retail stores in identifying, arresting, and disrupting retail theft. On November 22nd through November 25th, Thanksgiving week, ORCT conducted three plain clothes operations on the following dates and locations:

• November 22nd, near the 5500 block of Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Division
• November 24th, near the 9800 block of South Alameda Street, Southeast Division
• November 25th, near the 14000 block of Riverside Drive, Van Nuys Division

Personnel from ORCT and the division of occurrence were involved in the operations.

All suspects who were arrested for shoplifting were observed by the retail stores’ Lost Prevention officers who notified the plain clothes police officers in the operation. The plain clothes officers then notified uniform officers to come in and effect the arrest of the suspects.

Suspect-1 Meekins, Suspect-2 Love, and Suspect-3 Berry were arrested for robbery, near the 9800 block of South Alameda Street. Meekins and Love had entered the business, posed as customers, grabbed several boxes of shoes, and began to walk out of the store without making any attempt to pay for the shoes. An employee engaged Meekins and Love and attempted to convince them not to leave the store without paying for the shoes. Meekins and Love threatened the employee, and in fear for his life, the employee made no further attempts to stop them.

Meekins and Love ran to a getaway vehicle which was being driven by Berry. Plain clothes officers saw the robbery and called in uniformed officers from Southeast Division to stop the vehicle. The suspects were stopped and arrested before they could drive off the property.

The following arrest occurred on November 22, 2023, near the 5500 block of Sunset Boulevard.

• Lisa Lewis, female Black, 55-years-old, of Long Beach, was arrested for 459.5(a)PC- Shoplifting and was cited and released on Zero Bail.
• Ryan Karbelk, male White, 39-years-old, of Los Angeles, was arrested for 459.5(a)PC- Shoplifting and was cited and released on Zero Bail.
• David Stafford, male White, 46-years-old, of Los Angele, was arrested for 459.5(a) PC-Shoplifting and was cited and released on Zero Bail.
• Verastad Derpedrosian, male White, 40-years-old, of Los Angeles, was arrested for 459.5(a)PC- Shoplifting and was cited and released on Zero Bail.
• Thomas Kopay, male White, 41-years-old, of Los Angeles, was arrested for 459.5(a) PC-Shoplifting and was cited and released on Zero Bail.
• Joyce Ramirez, female Hispanic, 46-years-old, of Los Angeles, was arrested for 459.5(a)PC- Shoplifting and was cited and released on Zero Bail.

The following arrest occurred on November 24, 2023, near the 9800 block of South Alameda Street.

• Dwayne Michael Haley II, male Black, 34-years-old, of Los Angeles, was arrested for 484(a)PC- Petty Theft, booked at 77th Street Jail, and released on Zero Bail.
• Cecelia Whettstone, male Black, 25-years-old, of Los Angeles, was arrested for 484(a)PC- Petty Theft and was cited and release on Zero Bail.
• Yanah Meekins, female Black, 38-years-old, of Los Angeles, was arrested for 211PC-Robbery. She was booked at 77th Street Jail, under booking number 6715885, and her bail is set at $50,000.00.
• Vincasia Love, female Black, 21-years-old, of Los Angeles, was arrested for 211PC- Robbery. She was booked at 77th Street Jail, under booking number 6715867, and has a “No Bail” due to a probation hold.
• Ebony Berry, female Black, 32-years-old, of Los Angeles, for 211PC- Robbery. She was booked at 77th Street Jail, under booking number 6715868, and her bail is set at $50,000.00.

There were no arrests during the November 25th operation near the 14000 block of Riverside Drive.

A total of eleven arrests were made and a grand total of $5,390.00 in merchandise was stolen. All stolen items were recovered. The ORCT will be conducting additional operations during this Holiday Season with the goal of identifying, disrupting and arresting retail thieves.

(Photographs of the recovered merchandise from Meekins, Love, and Berry’s getaway vehicle)

Anyone with information is asked to call the ORCT Detective Juan Campos, (213) 486-6958 or email 31480@lapd.online. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may also visit www.lapdonline.org and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.