Two men appeared in court this week after authorities broke up an alleged theft ring that operated out of San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties for 16 months.
Luis Alberto Delasancha, 31, pleaded not guilty to 25 counts of grand theft and a count of organized retail grand theft, all felonies. He was ordered to return to court Friday for a pretrial hearing in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
Co-defendant Agustin Garfiaz, 26, of Bellflower, was charged with organized retail grand theft and a count of receiving stolen property, both felonies. Both were arrested Wednesday.
Co-defendants Jose Delasancha, 32, and Everado Carrillo-Avilez, 39, were both listed in court records as fugitives.
The criminal complaint lists 53 counts of grand theft and a count of organized retail grand theft. The four are accused of participating in a ring in which members would steal up to $1,500 of merchandise at a time from Home Depot stores.
The thefts took place from October 2021 through February of this year. The total loss was $76,640.50, according to the complaint.
The California Highway Patrol handled the investigation.
– City News Service
