The California Highway Patrol announced it has recovered 26 pallets of stolen Blackstone Griddles with a value of over $46,000.
The announcement was made Wednesday by the CHP Golden Gate Division Cargo Theft. The griddles were stolen using a “fictitious pick-up” tactic, with the shipment originating in Utah and meant for Pennsylvania but diverted to a Sacramento warehouse.
According to CHP, the recovered products have been returned to the company. The investigation is ongoing and no suspect information was released.
CHP urges buyers to be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, as they may involve stolen goods. Remember, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
CHP Helps Investigation Lead to Multiple Arrests Linked to Cargo and Vehicle Theft
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Over the course of several months, investigators from the San Bernardino County Auto Theft Task Force (SANCATT) conducted a complex investigation involving numerous stolen vehicles and miscellaneous cargo stolen from trains.
On June 20, 2024, SANCATT, with the assistance of personnel from the California Highway Patrol-Inland Division, San Bernardino Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBSD), National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Riverside Auto Theft Interdiction Detail (RAID), Orange County Auto Theft Task Force (OCATT), Task Force for Regional Auto Theft (TRAP), Riverside Sheriff’s Department, Rialto Police Department, California Department of Insurance, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Roadway (BNSF), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), executed a multi-agency, multi-location search warrant operation within three counties in California and one location in Arizona.
To date, 51 arrests have been made. Authorities have recovered 20 stolen vehicles, seized 20 firearms, 48 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, and 425 pounds of crystal methamphetamine. Additionally, they located one clandestine methamphetamine lab and recovered $325,000 in U.S. currency and over $8 million in stolen cargo.
The 51 arrestees were booked at SBSD West Valley Detention Center for numerous felonies related to train burglaries, conspiracy, vin-switched stolen vehicles, operation of a methamphetamine lab, methamphetamine sales, child endangerment, and possession of assault weapons. This is an active and ongoing investigation.
Santa Ana Bust
On the morning of June 27, 2024, Border Division Cargo Theft Interdiction Program (CTIP) investigators conducted a search warrant operation at a liquidation business warehouse in the city of Santa Ana, California.
CTIP investigators discovered several stolen cargo loads had been sold to this business. The stolen cargo was then being resold, through online marketplaces.
The stolen items consisted of electronics, pet food, kitchen appliances, nutritional supplements, and much more.
CTIP recovered 12 stolen cargo loads from this search warrant, valued at approximately two million dollars.
Border Division CTIP investigators previously raided this business in December of 2022, which resulted in the recovery of approximately 15 stolen cargo loads, valued at over nine million dollars.
Other CHP Stories:
- June 11 – CHP Seeks Public Help in Major Injury Hit-and-Run Crash
- April 26 – CHP: $326K Recovered in Organized Retail Crime Operation
- April 16 – CHP Recovers $300k in Stolen LEGO Merchandise
