Burglars steal as much as $30 million in one of L.A.’s largest cash heists ever, LAPD seeks clues

https://www.latimes.com/california/...rglary-money-storage-facility-30-million

The burglary occurred Easter Sunday night at a facility in Sylmar, CA where cash from businesses across the region is handled and stored, said L.A. Police Department Cmdr. Elaine Morales.

The thieves were able to breach the building as well as the safe where the money was stored, Morales said. Law enforcement sources said the burglary was among the largest in city history when it comes to cash, and the total also surpassed any armored-car heist in the city.

Sources familiar with the investigation told The Times that a burglary crew broke through the roof of the Gardaworld building on Roxford Street to gain access to the vault. But it is unclear how they avoided the alarm system.

The Canada-based security company has not responded to requests for comment.

It's been all over the news here. LA is famous for it's high-line heists. I believe a lot of this has to do with how sprawled out the city is, a lot of good escape routes. We also had a $100 million jewelry heist go down 2 years ago, a crime that remains unsolved

Yes LA has a history Mann's Heat was based one those brazen heists.

Mann's commitment to authenticity is evident in every frame of that film, from the meticulously planned heists to the high-pressure showdowns between the criminals and law enforcement. Eddie Bunker was one of Mann's advisors during production

Yes Reservoir Dogs is another one although we only see the mess after the heist LOL.
Have you read No Beast So Fierce or his other novels? They say it's realistic hard-boiled stuff.

No Beast So Fierce is one of my favorite novels. Yeah, it's gritty and reeks of authenticity. Even though the story is fiction, you are basically reading about Bunker's life. Check out my "underrated movies" thread. The very first movie I recommended was Straight Time, which was based on No Beast So Fierce. Check out the trailer if you haven't seen the movie. I've also read Little Boy Blue, but it's not nearly as good as No Beast. Bunker was the real thing. QT and Mann didn't use him for nothing. Nate, the character Jon Voight played in Heat was based on him

Thanks I will def have another look at Bunker's work.

Historic $30 Million Easter Heist Plunges Los Angeles into Alarm and Intrigue
By LoriW -04/09/2024

In a daring scheme nestled into the quiet backdrop of Easter weekend, the city of Los Angeles fell victim to what could potentially rank at the top of the most sizeable cash heists in U.S history. With an estimated loot of $30 million, this audacious burglary has sparked waves of speculation and intrigue among the public – a populace both fascinated and alarmed by grand-scale robberies and their astonishing illicit residuals.

In a meticulously executed plan, the culprits managed to infiltrate a suburban Sylmar neighborhood’s cash storage facility, ensuing the breach of a safe that lay within – a vault that ideally should have been, but evidently was not, unbreachable. The spoils amounted reportedly to as much as $30 million, sending the local law enforcement and the FBI into a frenzy of investigative action.

To an intrigued onlooker, the crime scene might seem like an elementary, albeit well-planned, crime of burglary. But reports conveyed by sources of authority painted a more vivid image. Police Commander Elaine Morales, in an interview with The Los Angeles Times, explained how the thieves managed to penetrate a money storage facility, pry open a heavily fortified safe and escape undetected with an incredible sum of money. The name GardaWorld became quickly associated with the event – a Canadian cash management and security firm identified as the likely location of the heist.

Much like any startling crime, this one too brought forth a range of reactions from experts. Jim McGuffey, a specialist in armored car and physical security, expressed his disbelief at the audacity and success of the theft, questioning the assumed presence and performance of multiple alarm systems, seismic motion detectors, and additional sensors throughout the facility.

Randy Sutton, a seasoned investigator of major crimes and high-end burglaries, hypothesized that the heist was a product of careful long-term planning noticeable in the circumvention of extensive surveillance and security systems. He reasoned that the stolen cash, mostly circulated capital instead of fresh notes from the U.S. Treasury, might be difficult to trace; in response, law enforcement is interviewing both current and former GardaWorld employees familiar with the company’s security protocols.

But the question that befuddles many is the sheer logistic complexity of moving $30 million in cash. A million-dollar bundle of notes hardly weighs more than ten kilograms, with larger denominations reducing the weight significantly. But, the load of $30 million, especially in varied denominations, could reach up to an astounding 3.5 tons. The culprits must have had a plan to launder the vast sum effectively and quickly, remarked Sutton.

This audacious burglary finds its place in a line of infamous cash thefts, each as daring as the next. The previous record holder was the 1997 armed heist of nearly $19 million at the Los Angeles Dunbar Armored Co. depot, a meticulously planned operation involving an inside man and five armed robbers, taking years to solve and recover a fraction of the stolen loot.

Beyond the realm of true crime, heists have held a beloved spot in pop culture, from the Lufthansa heist of 1978 immortalized in the movie “Goodfellas” to the stunningly fictional Las Vegas casino robbery of $160 million in the “Ocean’s 11” franchise. One can only wait to see, in the wake of this heist, what ripples are created in the true crime world and beyond.

The guard of the illicit wealth of $30 million, its location, its carriers, and its ultimate launderers remain a mystery to be solved by the relentless pursuit of law enforcement. The bold heist serves as a stark reminder that even in the quietest of times, the audacity of crime remains unflinching.