A group of suspects accused of burglarizing over 130 businesses across Southern California was arrested, police announced Tuesday.
The suspects were identified by the Los Angeles Police Department as:
- Jacob Pugh, 19, from Lawndale
- Kewon Stevenson, 25, from Los Angeles
- An unidentified juvenile suspect
The burglaries took place between March to June 2023 and the suspects generally targeted smaller family-owned restaurants. Many of the restaurants were focused on Asian and Eastern food, LAPD said.
The group was dubbed the “Punch Crew” by detectives for their “use of a sharp punch tool to break the glass of the door or window” of targeted businesses.
Once inside, the trio would ransack the shop, removing cash registers and any electronic tablets or devices.
The crew is believed to be responsible for burglarizing at least 131 businesses throughout L.A. County, police said. Many of the break-ins left significant and costly damages.
During the thefts, the suspects used different vehicles obtained from car rental companies and peer-to-peer car-sharing platforms.
They would target several restaurants in one area at a time before moving on to a different part of the city, detectives said.
In total, they stole around $80,000 from businesses and caused around $160,000 in damage, according to police.
All three suspects were located and arrested. Both Pugh and Stevenson were charged with 19 counts of commercial burglary. They are being held on $975,000 bail.
“They were ordered out of custody from North County Correctional Facility, where they are being held on an unrelated case, and were arraigned on this case in Van Nuys Courthouse,” authorities added.
Investigators are still working with the juvenile district attorney’s office on filing charges for the juvenile suspect.
The burglaries remain under investigation. Anyone with additional information can call the LAPD at 1-877-275-5273.