Community Involvement Helps Police Make Significant Arrest of Vehicle Burglary Suspect NR12177kr

April 18, 2012

Los Angeles:  Detectives from LAPD’s Hollywood Division and others attended a press conference this afternoon to acknowledge community members who helped police solve at least one crime, recover thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen property and make an arrest.

On April 10, 2012, around 2:30 p.m., a vehicle was burglarized in the 900 block of Seward Avenue.  Hollywood Division auto detectives were able to find surveillance video of the crime, which included the suspect and his vehicle.

Detectives notified local residents of the crimes and showed them the video of the possible suspect.  The tactic paid off when an alert community member was in the area where several burglaries from motor vehicles had occurred and saw a man that looked like the same person seen in the video.  As the citizen watched the suspect, later identified as Sean Ray, he saw Ray walk up to a Porsche with a crowbar in his hands.  After a short time, Ray returned to his own car, a late-model luxury sedan, identical to the one the suspect was seen entering on the video.  The watchful citizen wrote down the license plate number and turned it over to police.  It is unknown if the Porsche had been broken into.

Hollywood auto detectives worked diligently and determined the license plate number belonged to a luxury sedan that had been rented on the day of one of the burglaries.  Detectives were also able to identify the person who rented the vehicle as Sean Ray.

On April 17, 2012, Hollywood officers from the Parole Impact Team conducted a probation compliance search at Ray’s residence in the 100 block South Virgil.  Ray was located inside the residence trying to hide from officers and was taken into custody without incident.  During a search of his apartment, numerous items believed to be stolen property were recovered:

$24,000 in US currency
Laptop computers
iPad and tablet devices
Cameras (ninety high-end and consumer-grade cameras) and camera equipment
Video cameras
Jewelry, watches

Ray has a criminal history that includes theft, burglary, and grand theft auto. He served state prison sentences for those crimes and was on formal probation at the time of his arrest.

Anyone with information or who may have been a victim of Ray is asked to call Officer Michael Klee at 213-972-2947. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”  Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.