LOS ANGELES (AP) – A money storage facility in Los Angeles was the target of a massive heist on Easter Sunday, where thieves managed to make away with $30 million in cash. The thieves were able to break into the building and crack the safe where the money was stored. The operators of the facility only discovered the theft when they opened the vault the following day. The location was identified as a GardaWorld facility in Sylmar, a global cash management and security company based in Canada.
The LAPD and FBI are now jointly investigating the theft, which is being described as one of the largest cash burglaries in the city’s history. The total amount stolen is reported to surpass any previous armored-car heist in Los Angeles. Just two years ago, a similar heist occurred where $100 million in jewels and valuables were stolen from a Brink’s big rig at a Southern California truck stop, and the culprits have still not been caught. Security experts state that facilities like this should have extensive security measures in place, including alarm systems and motion detectors.
Amid growing surveillance in the area, several TV news crews were filming outside the facility in Sylmar, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. Aerial footage showed a large cutout on the side of the building that appeared to be boarded up, indicating the entry point used by the thieves. The shock of the hefty robbery has raised questions about the level of security at cash management companies like GardaWorld. While the company has a good reputation in the industry, incidents like this one are not unheard of but still surprising.
Jim McGuffey, an armored car expert and security consultant, emphasized the importance of comprehensive security measures at such facilities to prevent large-scale thefts. He stated that a facility storing such a significant amount of money should have multiple alarm systems and motion detectors. He also mentioned that every cash management company has isolated incidents where breaches occur, despite their overall reliability. The brazen nature of the heist raises concerns about the vulnerability of such facilities to determined thieves.
The authorities in Los Angeles are now working to uncover the identities of the culprits behind the $30 million cash heist. The investigation is ongoing, with both the LAPD and FBI collaborating to gather more information about the breach and track down the perpetrators. The theft has highlighted the need for heightened security measures at money storage facilities to prevent similar incidents in the future. The significant amount stolen indicates a sophisticated operation carried out by experienced criminals, posing a challenge for law enforcement in apprehending those responsible for the crime.
