2023-12-30 01:55:29
LOS ANGELES – Hidden under tarps in the middle of a homeless encampment in downtown Los Angeles, authorities found a stolen Maserati, a rare find even for officers who have seen it all.
“We have officers and supervisors who have been here for 20 years and have never seen that. A stolen car being dismantled in a homeless camp; that’s really thinking outside the box, so to speak, for criminals,” said Capt. Raúl Jovel, commander at the Los Angeles Police (LAPD) headquarters.
The luxury vehicle was reportedly stolen on December 11 from a parking lot near the Crypto.com Arena while the driver was at a nearby event. They believe it was taken to the camp to be dismantled.
The commanding officer said the vehicle was missing its wheels, and many of the interior components were missing.
LAPD reported earlier this year that it saw a dramatic increase in car thefts. In response, a task force was created to catch the criminals responsible.
Jovel said it’s rare to find a luxury car in the middle of a homeless encampment, but it’s not unusual to see criminal activity.
“Prostitution, lewd activities, human trafficking, which is really worrying, but also things related to property: dismantling cars, receiving stolen goods, using narcotics and selling in tents, a big problem here in the center,” said Jovel.
The captain also mentioned that it is not necessarily the homeless people living in the encampments who commit the crimes, which is a major concern for officers.
“When you see a big camp, there are a lot of people looking at how we can turn this into a business to make money and that’s where narcotics, stolen cars, stolen parts come into play,” Jovel said.
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