Heist of Truckload of Jeans Foiled Twice

Two attempts within 30 minutes to steal a truckload of Levi-brand jeans worth $250,000 were foiled after a brief chase by sheriff’s deputies near Compton, police said.

Compton Police Officer Robert Ladd said that Jim Fleschner, 41, of Anaheim had left his truck with the motor running outside the Bestway Transportation office at 575 E. Weber St. in Compton about 2:30 a.m. Saturday. A man then jumped into the cab and drove off.

Minutes later, Sheriff’s Deputies Rod Kusch and Gerald Reeves spotted the truck at the intersection of Willowbrook Avenue and El Segundo Boulevard, Ladd said, and became suspicious when they noticed that the driver was having trouble shifting gears.

Fled on Foot

As they made a U-turn to question the driver, the man jumped out of the truck and fled on foot. But as the deputies began to chase him, they “all of a sudden heard the truck start to drive off again,” Ladd said.

The deputies jumped back in their car for a two-mile chase down El Segundo Avenue. Ladd said they arrested Edward Hall, 31, of Los Angeles on a charge of grand theft. A second man, whose identity was not released, was also arrested and booked on the same charge.