A search warrant executed at an Inglewood home uncovered not only hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise but also a father-daughter duo believed to be behind some of the crimes, authorities said.
Last month, the California Highway Patrol’s Retail Organized Crime Task Force served a search warrant at an Inglewood home where investigators suspected stolen items were stored before being sold at the Roadium outdoor market in Torrance. When investigators searched the location, they found items such as designer shoes, handbags and perfumes being sold under authentic brand names.
The homeowner, Jose Cuadra, 41, was arrested on suspicion of leading the operation. According to authorities, the retail thieves, also known as “boosters,” were seen entering his home to resell the items they had stolen.
Cuadra was arrested on suspicion of two counts of receiving stolen property, one count of selling counterfeit goods and one count of organizing a retail robbery with two or more people.
Investigators also arrested Johny Arciniegas-Cortes, 46, and his daughter, Paula Arciniegas, 28, last week. The duo is accused of stealing $10,000 worth of retail items in several robberies across Southern California. The two were arrested on suspicion of two counts of grand larceny, one count of planning to commit a crime and four misdemeanor counts of larceny of items under $950, according to the California Highway Patrol.
According to CHP Public Information Officer Jim Bettencourt, the alleged retail theft ring is still under investigation and more arrests could be made.
This is not the first time law enforcement officials have accused a family of being at the center of a theft ring.
In May, Riverside County officials said they had uncovered a separate family retail theft operation and arrested four members on suspicion of stealing $7,000 worth of items from stores across Southern California.
The Retail Organized Crime Task Force, created in 2019, is part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to crack down on retail crime this year. Last week, Newsom signed 10 laws addressing property theft, allowing indefinite prosecution of retail theft and increasing penalties for shoplifting and possession and sale of stolen goods.
Through July, the aggressive effort to curb retail theft has resulted in 717 arrests and $6.8 million in stolen property recovered in what Newsom's office has called “a record pace” that surpasses all previous years.
Aggregate data from the California Budget and Policy Center shows that property crime rose slightly between 2020 and 2022, but theft rates have since declined; current crime rates are still well below the historic peaks of the 1980s and 1990s.
