Police Hope To Reunite Victims With Trove Of Stolen iPhones & Laptops

LOS ANGELES, CA — If you lost your iPhone when your car was broken into or your laptop in a home burglary, police may have recovered it recently with a trove of stolen electronics stashed at a storefront fence in Los Angeles.

The trove was discovered when Los Angeles police served a search warrant at a store in the Westlake area and found more than 200 stolen Apple devices and other electronic items, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police were looking for items connected with retail thefts, but they also ended up finding the electronics stolen from individuals around Los Angeles. Now detectives are trying to match up the stolen goods with the victims to whom they belong.

Authorities Monday sought the public's help in identifying the items discovered Dec. 13 in a store at the 2000 block of West Sixth Street. Police arrested a woman at the scene on suspicion of receiving stolen property in relation to retail store theft.

"While recovering volumes of merchandise taken from retail stores, detectives also observed bookcases, storage bins, and bags full of personal electronic devices such as laptop computers, iPads, and iPhones," police said in a written statement. "Detectives believe many, if not all, of the electronics recovered were taken in burglaries of vehicles and homes in the Los Angeles area."

Among the recovered items, was an Apple MacBook taken in a burglary from vehicle in Echo Park in November, according to police.

"Also taken in that car theft was $45,000 worth of cameras and camera equipment," police said. "Detectives recovered much of that stolen camera equipment in the store as well. Detectives were able to track down the owner after discovering video in a camera that included an investigative reporter associated with a local news station who was recording an on-scene news report in downtown Los Angeles last month.

"In addition, Rampart detectives have identified eight laptop computers belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District, one laptop computer belonging to the Los Angeles Public Library, and one laptop computer belonging to the Beverly Hills Unified School District," police said.

Anyone who suspects their stolen property may be among the recovered items is encouraged to contact LAPD Rampart Auto Detective B. Gorby at 213-842-0783 or by emailing 36118@lapd.online. Victims may also call call Burglary Detective M. Pineda at 213-484-3424 or emailing 36398@lapd.online.