Latest news with #CargoCATs
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sheriff Credits Bike Community with Recovery of Stolen Ari Bikes
Sheriff Credits Bike Community with Recovery of Stolen Ari Bikes originally appeared on BikeMag. Biking communities are tight-knit, and it was L.A.'s that resulted in 288 stolen bikes being recovered and the arrest of the thieves, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says. In the May 29 press release, the LASD announced the arrest of five men in connection with the April theft of $1.7 million of Ari mountain bikes and eMTBs. Samvel Karapetyan, Vazgen Avagyan, Narek Badalyan, Vladimir Gyulankaryan and Davit Grigoryan were arrested by the LASD's Cargo Criminal Apprehension Team (Cargo CATs) on suspicion of orchestrating the theft by redirecting truck drivers and using box truck and passenger vehicles to transport stolen Bikes contacted the LASD on April 21 to report the theft of 337 bikes that were to be trucked from the Port of L.A. to Ari's Lindon, Utah, location. The Cargo CATs division worked closely with Ari Bikes and the biking community in the L.A. region, the LASD said in the release. Strong leads from area cyclists and a Santa Clarita bike shop quickly lead to the identification of several of the suspects and several warehouse locations where the bikes were being stored. Two search warrants were executed, and 288 Ari Bikes and other stolen goods were recovered and several suspects were arrested. 'The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Majors Crime Bureau is dedicated to combatting retail and cargo theft,' Captain Calvin Mah said. 'We are specifically trained to investigate all major theft groups as their criminal activities adversely affect the community. When these theft incidents occur, our detectives will work with all community members who are willing to provide information which can lead to an arrest. I am proud of our detectives' efforts in bringing these suspects into custody. I am also encouraging all community members to notify us when they have information related to retail or cargo theft.'Ari Bikes has said that a majority of the recovered bikes, including Signal Peak 3.0s and Timp Peak 2.0s, were in their packaging and unharmed. Despite the good news for Ari, 49 Ari bikes remain missing. Anyone with information about the remaining Ari Bikes is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous. This story was originally reported by BikeMag on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ari Recovers 288 Bikes Stolen in Shipping Scam
Ari Bikes has recovered most of its 337 bikes that were stolen in a shipping scam last month. The 288 bikes that have been recovered are all in the sealed packaging they were shipped in, said Tyler Cloward, director of production at Ari Bikes. The bikes were supposed to be en route from a Los Angeles County port to Ari Bikes in Lindon, Utah. "We got dozens and dozens of leads sent in," Cloward said. "We were able to chase down some information with that, pass that to the Cargo Cats division and they were able to track down these bikes." The Cargo CATs (Cargo Criminal Apprehension Team) is a division of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department that investigates and prosecutes cargo thieves and stolen goods receivers. Cargo CATs officers worked with Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents to execute a multi-location search warrant operation, leading to the arrest of eight suspects. In addition to $1,359,226 worth of Ari bikes and parts, firearms, cash and stolen merchandise including coffee beans, Sony televisions, FlavCity Electrolyte mix, Kenwood speakers, air conditioners, hot chocolate, and L'Oreal Products were recovered. Cargo theft is estimated to cost U.S. companies $1 billion annually, according to CargoNet, a cargo security firm The new Timp Peak 2.0 and Signal Peak 3.0 bikes were among the Ari models stolen in the shipment. Soon after the theft, a man brought one of the stolen bikes to a Santa Clarita bike shop, which alerted authorities and aided in the case. The bikes are now at Ari Bikes in Utah and are being checked out in their packaging to ensure everything is in good order, McCaul said. While this is a huge relief for Ari Bikes, 49 of the stolen bikes haven't been accounted for. Anyone who sees an Ari Bike in the wild for a too-good-to-be true price or under other sketchy circumstances is encouraged to contact Ari Bikes at (801)-471-0440 or text (385)-220-7854.
