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South Pasadena police report steady August crime rates, highlight regional vehicle-theft trend
Summary
Deputy Chief Merrill Leighton reported downtrending crime counts for August overall but flagged an emerging regional pattern of high-value vehicle thefts and continued thefts of Hyundai/Kia models linked to known security exploits; department noted a recent local homicide under LA County Sheriff's investigation.
Deputy Chief Merrill Leighton presented the department’s August crime statistics to the Public Safety Commission and highlighted two trends: an overall decline in several crime categories and a rise in organized, high‑value vehicle thefts driven by regional networks.
“We had 2 notable vehicle thefts,” Leighton said. He described a theft of a Rolls‑Royce valued at about $250,000 that was contracted to a car‑carrier company and intercepted by a fraudulent carrier, and a second theft of a high‑end Mercedes “well over $100,000.” Leighton said the vehicles are often moved to locations where transponders cannot transmit, and that the…
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