Three men were arrested in connection with what authorities are calling a organized retail theft ring that has hit several locations throughout Southern California in recent weeks.
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California Highway Patrol investigators with the department's Organized Retail Crime Taskforce served a search warrant at a hardware and plumbing supply business in Los Angeles on Monday, where they reported finding nearly $500,000 worth of stolen merchandise.
The stolen items included water heaters, furnaces, extension ladders, five-gallon buckets on paint, tools and plumbing fixtures.
With L.A. ranked as the retail theft capital of the country, how big is the problem really, and what can be done to solve it? Join us for our live KNX News Town Hall, Smash and Grab, Stealing the Season, on Dec. 12.
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The raid came at the end of a month-long investigation into the retail theft ring that hit a number of stores like Lowe's, Harbor Freight and The Home Depot in recent weeks.
On top of the stolen merchandise, investigators located five firearms and about $30,000, CHP said.
Three men, 43-year-old Fernando Hernandez, 45-year-old Rogelio Ramirez Solgado and 54-year-old Jose Rivera were all arrested for their connection to the theft ring, police said.
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