Two Houston men arrested on suspicion of breaking into a parked Rolls Royce and stealing a large amount of cash after following the driver from a bank in Encino are believed responsible for other similar crimes in Los Angeles and Orange counties, police announced Wednesday.
Such follow-out, or “jugging” crimes target bank customers who have recently completed or are thought to have completed bank or ATM transactions and are in possession of cash. The culprits wait for an opportune time to rob their victims or burglarize their parked vehicles, according to the LAPD.
“Most incidents occur on non-bank property, typically outside retail or commercial businesses,” according to a police statement. “The suspects park in the bank parking lot and watch customers exiting the bank. The suspects look for the customer carrying a white envelope that most banks give to customers when they withdraw cash. They also look for customers carrying a blue vinyl merchant deposit bag. When the suspects observe a customer with an envelope or blue bag they follow them away from the bank to their next stop. After the vehicle is no longer occupied, the suspects smash a window, enter the vehicle and check the center console and glove box for the envelope with the cash.”
Police say suspects sometimes enter banks looking for potential victims.
In the case of the suspects arrested Friday, members of the LAPD’s Major Theft Task Force were conducting surveillance about 10:55 a.m. in the parking lot of a bank in the 18300 block of Ventura Boulevard, where several follow-out crimes originated in the past year, when they Devian Lockhart, 30, and Christopher Curry, 21, in a rented 2016 Hyundai Tucson with tinted windows and paper plates.
The suspects allegedly followed a silver Rolls Royce out of the bank parking lot to a health center in the 4800 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, detectives said.
“After the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the suspects smashed the front passenger window and pried the door of the Rolls Royce to gain entry,” police said. “The property was removed and the suspects fled. A short time later, both suspects were taken into custody without incident. A search of the suspects and the vehicle produced over $21,000 in cash.”
Detectives believe both suspects are responsible for similar burglaries in the Southland, police said.
Lockhart and Curry were booked on suspicion of burglary and were released after each posted bail of $150,000 — Lockhart on Saturday and Curry on Sunday, according to sheriff’s inmate records.
Police advised bank customers to conceal any cash withdrawal `white envelope’ or blue merchant deposit bag prior to leaving a bank branch, to be aware of anyone following them from the bank or ATM, and to never leave cash in their vehicles.
Anyone with information that could help investigators with the case was urged to call the LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division Major Theft Task Force at (213) 486-6962 to speak with Detective Dennis Bopp.
During non-business hours, calls should be directed to (877) LAPD-24-7.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS or at lacrimestoppers.org.