Police Seek Burglar Caught on Tape Stealing Cell Phones

Los Angeles:  Los Angeles police are asking for the public's help in identifying a burglar whose image was caught on tape stealing $5,980.00 worth of cellular phones from a Boost Mobile store in South Los Angeles on July 13, 2009.

The incident happened around 12:30 a.m., in the 11100 block of South Avalon Boulevard when the suspect entered a shopping center and cut the telephone lines where the Boost Mobile store was located. 

Detectives say the man returned to the store at 6:40 a.m., pried open the front doors and cut the lock off the interior security gate.  Once the suspect gained access to the business, he walked to a back storage room, grabbed a mop handle and knocked down all of the security cameras off of the inside walls of the business. Afterwards, the suspect returned to the storage room, stuffed the cellular phones into a trash bag and left out the front door.

The suspect is described as a Black male, 25-30 years old, and 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches tall.  He has black hair, brown eyes, and weighs between 200 and 230 pounds.  The suspect was last seen wearing a long sleeve black hooded sweat jacket, tan shorts, black sneakers and orange and tan work gloves.

Investigators believed that the suspect may be responsible for another burglary at a Boost Mobile store located in the 400 block of East El Segundo Boulevard currently being handled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Surveillance footage and still photos are available by logging on to www.lapdonline and www.lapdtv.org .

Anyone with information regarding this burglary is asked to call Southeast Burglary Detectives at 213-972-7846.  After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247).  Callers may also text "Crimes" with a cell phone or log on to www.lapdonline.org and click on web tips.  When using a cell phone, all messages should begin with "LAPD."  Tipsters may remain anonymous.