Four sought in South Bay work van thefts; 11 already arrested

Four suspects are still being sought in connection with work van thefts last year in the South Bay, authorities said Wednesday.

The Taskforce for Regional Autotheft Prevention began investigating a series of work van thefts in September, said Det. Andrew Turpen of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.

The investigation led to the identification of 15 suspects believed to be responsible for the crimes.

The criminals, many of whom were transient, used shaved keys to open the door of a vehicle and start the ignition, Turpen said. They stole vans from plumbers, painters, landscapers and construction workers, according to a task force press release.

“If they saw the van they wanted, they just went and took it,” Turpen said.

The vans were filled with work equipment that was then sold at swap meets.

The thefts occurred in Long Beach, San Pedro, Redondo Beach, as well as Lakewood, Norwalk, Paramount and even Las Vegas, authorities said.

The investigative team recovered close to 1,000 pieces of equipment and tools, Turpen said. Over 25 vehicles were recovered. Some were chopped and sold as scrap metal.

Of the 15 suspects, 11 were arrested on June 13. The suspects still being sought are Robert Madia, Adam Kim, Byran Godinez and Willie Bartsman, according to the release.

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Twitter: @emfoxhall

emily.foxhall@latimes.com