Leads Sought in Theft of Trucks, Trailers : Crime: Thieves broke into storage lot and made off with $225,000 shipment of Panasonic products in brazen weekend burglary.

Investigators were seeking leads Monday in a bold weekend burglary in which thieves broke into a storage yard and made off with two trucks and 48-foot trailers filled with more than 500 pieces of Panasonic Corp. products valued at more than $225,000.

The theft at Apace Moving Inc. occurred sometime between 11:45 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, said Lt. Trey Sirks of the Orange Police Department.

During that time, the thieves broke into the company’s storage lot in the 200 block of West Blueridge Avenue and linked the two trucks with the two trailers, which were filled with Panasonic equipment packed for shipment to a dealer trade show in Long Beach opening today. Sirks said the shipment contained samples of every product Panasonic makes and sells, including telephones, microwave ovens, televisions, radios, stereos and computers. The entire shipment plus the two 1993 Freightliner trucks were valued at $336,000.

Sirks said the thieves broke into five other trailers on the lot, but nothing else was stolen.

Officials for Apace and Panasonic declined comment on the burglary.

One of the trucks, its trailer empty, was later found in Ontario by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in the parking lot of a restaurant, Sirks said.

Still missing is one white truck with the storage company logo, “Apace,” printed in green lettering on each door and with the California license plate SP11999. The stolen Fruehauf trailer, which may still be attached to the truck, is also white, with the letters “AJF” on its sides and the California license plate FT48074.

Anyone who has seen the trucks or trailers or has any information on the burglary is asked to call (714) 744-7553.