LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced a new retail theft crackdown on May 14, warning that repeat offenders will now face felony charges under Proposition 36, which allows harsher penalties for serial theft cases. The announcement follows a wave of thefts at a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles’ Pico-Robertson area, which suffered 12 theft incidents in recent weeks, including a large-scale looting by dozens of teenagers last September.
“We are sending a clear message: anyone committing retail theft will be held accountable,” said Hochman during a press conference held in front of the repeatedly targeted store.
Felony Charges and Task Force Expansion Under Prop 36
Hochman emphasized that Proposition 36, approved by voters last November, allows prosecutors to charge individuals with a felony if they commit theft or drug crimes two or more times, even if those offenses were previously treated as misdemeanors. Since the law’s December implementation, over 1,000 felony theft charges have been filed, Hochman said.
He also announced that the suspect arrested for the recent thefts at the 7-Eleven has been charged with 13 felony counts. The Retail Theft Task Force, a collaboration between the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP), will also intensify efforts to dismantle organized fencing operations.
At the event, officials introduced a new yellow warning sticker, stating: “This business is protected by the LA County Retail Theft Task Force. Theft will result in prosecution.” The sticker will be distributed to 10,000 businesses across the county.
Local Business Owners Voice Safety Concerns
Jawad Ursani, the owner of the 7-Eleven, said thieves repeatedly targeted his store because they believed there would be no significant punishment.
“They knew they wouldn’t face real punishment, so they kept looting,” Ursani said, adding that he has spent thousands of dollars on security measures but previously did not expect arrests to lead to prosecution.
Nearby, Mr. Seo, a Korean American owner of Fat Tomato Pizza, expressed similar frustrations. “We barely keep any cash inside because we’re afraid of theft,” he said. “This keeps happening because criminals aren’t afraid of being punished.”
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
