LAPD’s Holiday Blitz: Organized Retail Crime Task Force Nabs Flash-Rob Culprits

Los Angeles, CA-USA – In a bid to tackle the surge in organized retail crime, the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Commercial Crimes Division launched the Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCT) on August 21, 2023. This initiative, aimed at resolving the issue of “Flash-Rob” method retail crimes conducted by multiple suspects across the Los Angeles region, involves collaboration between LAPD Detectives and Officers, as well as Detectives from Torrance, Beverly Hills, Burbank, and Santa Monica Police Departments, said the police in a press release.

One of the key strategies employed by the ORCT is the use of plain clothes operations. Officers work closely with retail stores to identify, arrest, and disrupt retail theft. During Thanksgiving week, from November 22nd to November 25th, the ORCT executed three plain clothes operations in different 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, along with officers from the respective divisions, participated in these operations.

During these operations, suspects were observed by the retail stores’ Loss Prevention officers, who then alerted plain clothes police officers. The plain clothes officers, in turn, notified uniformed officers to effect the arrests.

Arrests and Incidents Shared by the LAPD:

November 22, 2023 (5500 block of Sunset Boulevard):

• Lisa Lewis, 55, of Long Beach: Arrested for shoplifting and cited, released on Zero Bail
• Ryan Karbelk, 39, of Los Angeles: Arrested for shoplifting and cited, released on Zero Bail
• David Stafford, 46, of Los Angeles: Arrested for shoplifting and cited, released on Zero Bail
• Verastad Derpedrosian, 40, of Los Angeles: Arrested for shoplifting and cited, released on Zero Bail
• Thomas Kopay, 41, of Los Angeles: Arrested for shoplifting and cited, released on Zero Bail
• Joyce Ramirez, 46, of Los Angeles: Arrested for shoplifting and cited, released on Zero Bail

November 24, 2023 (9800 block of South Alameda Street):

• Dwayne Michael Haley II, 34, of Los Angeles: Arrested for petty theft, booked and released on Zero Bail
• Cecelia Whettstone, 25, of Los Angeles: Arrested for petty theft and cited, released on Zero Bail
• Yanah Meekins, 38, of Los Angeles: Arrested for robbery, booked with a bail of $50,000.00
• Vincasia Love, 21, of Los Angeles: Arrested for robbery, no bail due to a probation hold
• Ebony Berry, 32, of Los Angeles: Arrested for robbery, booked with a bail of $50,000.00

November 25, 2023 (14000 block of Riverside Drive):

• No arrests were made during this operation.

Results:

• A total of eleven arrests were made.
• Stolen merchandise valued at $5,390.00 was recovered.

The ORCT remains committed to addressing retail theft and plans to conduct additional operations throughout the Holiday Season to identify, disrupt, and arrest retail thieves.