http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/Couple-Allegedly-Swindled-Swanky-Beverly-Hills-Store-83001242.htmlA husband and wife accused of being part of a ring that stole about $3 million in expensive merchandise were on the run Thursday, and police sought the public's help locating them.
Beatrice and Jose de Jesus Carrera are two of nine people suspected of rerouting shipments from a "high end store in Beverly Hills" to a Los Angeles home and then selling the items, said Richard French of the Los Angeles Police Department.
In August 2008, police received reports $1 million in merchandise had been rerouted from a Beverly Hills shop to a personal residence in Los Angeles, French said.
Beverly Hills police searched two Los Angeles homes and did not find the stolen merchandise, but did find name-brand goods from other retailers.
Los Angeles police detectives began watching the homes in December 2008, and in August 2009, police arrested two suspects and found sales ledgers, security sensor removers and stolen merchandise valued at $185,000, French said.
In November 2009, two more suspects were arrested, and detectives discovered locations where stolen merchandise "was being distributed and later resold on the black market," French said. Authorities eventually recovered more than $96,000 in cash and stolen merchandise valued at nearly $2.4 million.
"As of January 5, 2010, seven of the nine suspects have been arrested," French said. "The two outstanding suspects, Beatrice and Jose de Jesus Carrera, a married couple, agreed to surrender to officials but withdrew their agreement and are wanted by police."
Police asked anyone with information regarding their whereabouts to contact the LAPD's Cargo Hijack Unit at (213) 485-2507 or (877) LAPD-24-7.