"Flash robbery" suspects arrested, Inglewood sneaker shop accused of re-selling stolen items
Law enforcement officials arrested five men in an investigation into what police describe as "flash robberies," with stolen items allegedly sold to an Inglewood sneaker store, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Three of the men are accused of robbery, one is accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm and the fifth suspect stands accused of fencing, or receiving stolen property, as he allegedly worked with the thieves on more than one occasion, police said.
LAPD identified the business accused of buying stolen property from the alleged robbers as a store located in the 2700 block of West Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood, releasing a photo of a retail shop located at 2720 W. Manchester called Tilt. An Instagram page for Tilt, which lists its address in the bio section, advertises used and new high-end sneakers and clothing and accessories from brands such as Supreme and A Bathing Ape.
A July 12 post features a used pair of sneakers from Gallery Dept., which collaborates with luxury designers such as Lanvin, selling for $550 while a more recent post advertises some used Nikes for $325.
Trevian Holmes, a 36-year-old man from Inglewood, has been identified by LAPD as the suspect arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property. Meanwhile, 42-year-old Los Angeles resident Aaron Isreal was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and three other arrested suspects are accused of robbery.
The other men arrested, who are all residents of LA, include Brian McKing, 24, Jahiem Gillett, 21 and Devontay Pinson, 24.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department notified detectives with the LAPD's Organized Retail Crime Task Force about three men accused of committing a "flash robbery" in East Los Angeles. Sheriff's deputies had been investigating the suspects for other heists and suspected of them of previously selling stolen merchandise to the store in the 2700 block of West Manchester.
The sheriff's department provided a description of the suspects to LAPD detectives. But before police even served a search warrant, officers saw a black BMW pull up to the Inglewood business, according to LAPD.
"Three suspects who matched the description provided by LASD exited the vehicle with what appeared to be brand new clothing and boxes of shoes," a statement from LAPD reads. "The three suspects then entered the business with the merchandise."
After they went inside, detectives served a search warrant and later made the five arrests.
Police seized a firearm, undisclosed amount of cash and several items believed to have been stolen from two stores. LAPD said a business that had some of its items stolen identified the merchandise to investigators.