The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recovered most of the hundreds of bikes stolen on its way to Los Angeles County, and five people were arrested as the masterminds behind the robbery.
Sheriff’s officials on Thursday identified the following people as organizers of the theft:
Samvel Karapetyan, 38 Vazgen Avagyan, 36 Narek Badalyan, 32 Vladimir Gyulankaryan, 32 Davit Grigoryan, 40
Investigators are still considering whether any of these five are personally involved in the theft, but the department said it oversaw a plot to steal 337 bikes from a Utah-based ARI bike on April 21, and overseeing the theft of $1.7 million in goods.
“These individuals are suspected of coordinating theft operations by redirecting truck drivers and transporting large quantities of stolen cargo using box trucks and passenger cars,” LASD said in a news release.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shared these undated images of the April 2025 bicycle robbery. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shared these undated images of the April 2025 bicycle robbery.
Of these 337 bikes, 288 were recently recovered during two search warrant services at multiple locations connected to three separate investigations.
Prison records show that five people were arrested in the industrial city on May 7th, each released on a $100,000 bond.
Captain Calvin Ma, of the Major Crime Bureau, said their cargo criminal anxiety team is “dedicated to retail and combating cargo theft.”
“We are specially trained to investigate all major theft groups because criminal activities have a negative impact on our community,” Mah said. “In the event of these theft cases, our detectives will work with all community members who are willing to provide information that could lead to an arrest. I am proud of the detective’s efforts in detaining these suspects, and I also encourage all community members to notify us when they have information related to retail or cargo theft.”
To report information about cargo theft or other crimes anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
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