Five people suspected of retail thefts in the Woodland Hills and West Hills areas were taken into custody after police conducted a series of “blitz” operations on affected businesses, authorities said Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Police Department describes a blitz operation as “when law enforcement proactively saturates an area with personnel and resources to address a specific issue and enhance community safety.”
Burglary detectives with the LAPD’s Topanga Division conducted three such operations on Tuesday, collaborating with retail business owners to prevent or mitigate theft or merchandise loss.
The businesses were located inside the Westfield Topanga Mall in the 600 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, in the 21400 block of Victory Boulevard, and in the Fallbrook Mall in the 6600 block of Fallbrook Avenue.
Police arrested Tanner Talei, 18; Jacob Beccera, 20; Diana Aragon, 54; Artemus Shydian, 55; and Javid Gholamia, 64.
Police said that under the Los Angeles County misdemeanor bail schedule, several of the suspects were eligible to be cited and released, while others had pending warrants.
Anyone with further information relevant to investigators was urged to contact LAPD Topanga Burglary Theft detectives at 818-756-4800. Calls during non-business hours or weekends should be directed to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can visit lacrimestoppers.org.