LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thieves got away with $30 million in cash from a money storage facility in Los Angeles by breaking into the building on Easter Sunday and cracking the safe. Now detectives are seeking to unravel the brazen cash heist, reportedly one of the largest on record in Los Angeles.
Police Cmdr. Elaine Morales told The Los Angeles Times, which broke the news of the crime, that the thieves were able to breach the building, as well as the safe where the money was stored. The operators of the business did not discover the massive theft until they opened the vault.
Media reports identified the facility as a location of GardaWorld, a global cash management and security company, in Sylmar. The Canada-based company, which also operates fleets of armored cars, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
LAPD Officer David Cuellar, a department spokesperson, confirmed that officers received a call for service at 4:30 a.m. Sunday at a business on the street where GardaWorld's Sylmar location is.
Several TV news crews were filming outside the facility Thursday morning in an industrial part of the San Fernando Valley neighborhood, which is about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of downtown Los Angeles.
Aerial footage from KABC-TV showed a large cutout on the side of the building that appeared to be boarded up by a piece of plywood.
The LAPD and FBI on Thursday would only say that they were jointly investigating the theft “to determine the person or group responsible.” The agencies sought tips from the public, but they did not confirm how much was stolen or give other details such as the name of the company.
The Times reported that the break-in was among the largest cash burglaries in city history and surpassed that of any armored-car heist in Los Angeles.
Nearly two years ago, as much as $100 million in jewels and other valuables were stolen from a Brink’s big rig at a Southern California truck stop. The thieves haven’t been caught.
Jim McGuffey, an armored car expert and security consultant, called the Sylmar theft “a shock.” Any such facility should have two alarm systems and a seismic motion detector right on the safe, he said, as well as additional motion sensors throughout the building.
“For that kind of money, you don’t just walk in and walk out with it,” he told AP. “A facility should be protected from the top to the bottom and the sides.”
GardaWorld has a good reputation in the industry, McGuffey said, but every cash management company has “isolated incidents like this that just make no sense, but it happens to the best of them.”
Armored trucks are parked outside the GardaWorld facility in the Sylmar section of Los Angeles on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Thieves stole as much $30 million in an Easter Sunday burglary at a Los Angeles money storage facility in one of the largest cash heists in city history. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Armored trucks are parked outside the GardaWorld facility in the Sylmar section of Los Angeles on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Thieves stole as much $30 million in an Easter Sunday burglary at a Los Angeles money storage facility in one of the largest cash heists in city history. AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Armored trucks are parked outside the offices of GardaWorld in the Sylmar section of Los Angeles on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Thieves stole as much $30 million in an Easter Sunday burglary at a Los Angeles money storage facility in one of the largest cash heists in city history. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Armored trucks are parked outside the offices of GardaWorld in the Sylmar section of Los Angeles on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Thieves stole as much $30 million in an Easter Sunday burglary at a Los Angeles money storage facility in one of the largest cash heists in city history. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.
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TOP STORIES
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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS — The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion with police carrying riot shields swarming the Ivy League campus, bursting into an administration building protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of arrests. Just blocks away at The City College of New York, demonstrators were in a standoff with police outside the public college’s main gate. By Jake Offenhartz, Jonathan Mattise and Stefanie Dazio. SENT: 1,120 words, photos, videos, audio. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS PROTESTS-NORTHWESTERN — Student protesters reach a deal with Northwestern University that sparks criticism from all sides; CAMPUS PROTESTS-TRUMP — Trump’s comparison of student protests to Jan. 6 is part of effort to downplay Capitol attack; CONGRESS-CAMPUS PROTESTS — House Republicans are investigating the federal funding for universities where students have protested the Israel-Hamas war; and ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS-GLANCE — SENT.
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was meeting with Israeli leaders on in his push for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, saying “now is the time” for an agreement that would free hostages and bring a pause in the nearly 7-month-long war. By Matthew Lee and Sam Mednick. UPCOMING: 450 words, photos. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-RAFAH-EXPLAINER — Why Israel is so determined to launch an offensive in Rafah. And why so many oppose it; and MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE LATEST — SENT. See more on the Israel-Hamas war below.
ELECTION 2024-TRUMP — Donald Trump will use a one-day break from his hush money trial to rally voters in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan. His remarks will be closely watched a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order. By Adriana Gomez Licon, Scott Bauer and Michelle L. Price. SENT: 460 words, photos. UPCOMING: 900 words after 3 p.m. event in Wisconsin. With TRUMP-HUSH MONEY-TAKEAWAYS — SENT.
ELECTION-2024-BIDEN-MARIJUANA — President Joe Biden may eventually ban TikTok, but he’s moving to give something back to the young people who dominate the popular social media app — a looser federal grip on marijuana. Facing softening support from a left-leaning voting group that will be crucial to his reelection hopes in November, Biden has made a number of election-year moves intended to appeal in particular to younger voters. By Jonathan J. Cooper. SENT: 870 words, photos. With RECLASSIFYING MARIJUANA — US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it’ll remain controlled substance; RECLASSIFYING-MARIJUANA-BANKING — New era for pot regulation leaves old problem: Many cannabis companies can’t find a bank; and RECLASSIFYING MARIJUANA-EXPLAINER — What happens next? — SENT.
ABORTION-FLORIDA — Florida’s ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant, went into effect and some doctors are concerned that women in the state will no longer have access to needed health care. The new ban has an exception for saving a woman’s life, as well as in cases involving rape and incest, but a specialist says health care workers are still prevented from performing an abortion on a nonviable pregnancy that they know may become deadly — such as when the fetus is missing organs or implanted outside the uterus — until it actually becomes deadly. By David Fischer and Stephany Matat. SENT: 980 words, photos. With ABORTION-PILL-NORTH-CAROLINA — Some North Carolina abortion pill restrictions are unlawful, federal judge says; and ABORTION-ARIZONA — Arizona’s Democratic leaders make final push to repeal 19th century abortion ban — SENT.
HAITI-NEW-LEADERSHIP — A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti’s new prime minister is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled Caribbean country. Four of seven council members with voting powers said that they had chosen Fritz Bélizaire as prime minister, taking many Haitians aback with their declaration and unexpected political alliance. By Dánica Coto. SENT: 850 words, photos.
CHANGING-CATHOLIC-CHURCH — Across the United States, the Catholic Church is undergoing an immense shift. Generations of Catholics are increasingly embracing religious conservatives who believe the church has been twisted by change. It has reshaped parishes across the country, leaving them sometimes at odds with Pope Francis and much of the Catholic world. By Tim Sullivan. SENT: 2,690 words, photos, video.
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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES
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AAPI HERITAGE MONTH — It has been almost 50 years since the U.S. government established that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and their accomplishments should be recognized annually across the nation. What started as just one week in May has evolved over the decades into a monthlong tribute of events in cities big and small, and is not just about showcasing festive fare like food and fashion, but hard subjects like grief and social justice. By Terry Tang. SENT: 1,020 words, photo.
AFGHANISTAN-BOOMING-BUSINESS — The Taliban takeover three years ago has sent Afghanistan’s economy into a tailspin. Billions in international funds were frozen, and tens of thousands of highly skilled Afghans fled the country and took their money with them. But some businesses have flourished under Taliban rule, defying expectation. By Riazat Butt. SENT: 860 words, photos.
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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
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MIDEAST-TENSIONS — A Portuguese-flagged container ship came under attack by a drone in the far reaches of the Arabian Sea, corresponding with a claim by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that they assaulted the ship there, authorities said. SENT: 750 words, photo, audio.
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-AID PORT-EXPLAINER — The U.S. and allies are scrambling to pull together a complex system that will move tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza by sea. SENT: 1,150 words, photo, videos, audio.
GOOGLE-ISRAEL-FIRINGS — Dozens of Google workers who were fired after internal protests surrounding a lucrative contract that the technology company has with the Israeli government have filed a complaint with labor regulators in an attempt to get their jobs back. SENT: 160 words, photo.
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MORE NEWS
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CHINA-SCIENTIST — A Chinese scientist who published the COVID-19 virus sequence is allowed back in his lab after a sit-in protest. SENT: 600 words, photos.
SOUTH AFRICA-BABY TURTLES RESCUED — Over 500 baby sea turtles washed ashore in a big storm off South Africa. Here’s the rescue effort. SENT: 540 words, photos.
ENDANGERED-WOLVES-VOTE — US House votes to remove wolves from endangered list in 48 states. SENT: 410 words, photo.
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NATIONAL
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SEVERE-WEATHER — One person died when a tornado ripped through the small city of Westmoreland in northeastern Kansas, destroying houses, RVs and outbuildings, authorities said. SENT: 240 words.
SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-HARVEY-WEINSTEIN — Harvey Weinstein is due back in a New York courtroom for his first appearance since an appeals court last week overturned his 2020 rape conviction and ordered a new trial. SENT: 350 words, photo.
LOUISIANA-CONGRESSIONAL-DISTRICTS — A new Louisiana congressional map giving the state a second majority-Black House district has been rejected by a panel of federal judges. The 2-1 decision fuels new uncertainty about district boundaries as the state prepares for fall congressional elections. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
LOS-ANGELES-BUS-TRAIN-CRASH — At least 55 people were hurt, two seriously, when a Metro light rail train and a University of Southern California shuttle bus collided along a busy thoroughfare in downtown Los Angeles, officials said. SENT: 350 words, photos, video.
MASSACHUSETTS-HOMELESS-MIGRANTS — Massachusetts will begin limiting how long homeless families can stay in shelters as the state continues to grapple with an influx of homeless migrants. SENT: 380 words, photo.
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INTERNATIONAL
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CHINA-HIGHWAY — A section of a highway collapsed in southern China leaving at least 19 people dead, state broadcaster CCTV reported, after the area experienced heavy rains in recent days. SENT: 100 words, developing.
UNITED-NATIONS-SOUTH-SUDAN-HUNGER — Over 7 million people in South Sudan are expected to face acute food insecurity or worse during “the lean season” between now and July, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organizations said in a report. SENT: 260 words.
AUSTRALIA-GENDER-VIOLENCE — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced new funding to help women escape domestic violence and a crackdown on misogynistic online content in reaction to an uptick in homicides committed by current and former male partners that he described as a national crisis. SENT: 450 words, photo.
GREECE-ELITE-FIREFIGHTERS — Under pressure to cope with the impact of rising temperatures, Greece’s emergency response planners are shifting tactics this summer. Greece is doubling the number of special unit firefighters after the warmest winter on record and with temperatures reaching 86 degrees Fahrenheit in late March. SENT: 810 words, photos.
MAY-DAY-LABOR — Workers, activists and others in Asian capitals are marking May Day with rallies and marches to call for better working conditions and greater labor rights. SENT: 480 words, photos.
CLIMATE-PANAMA-CANAL-RAINFALL — The climate phenomenon known as El Nino — and not climate change — was a key driver in low rainfall that disrupted shipping at the Panama Canal last year, scientists said. SENT: 570 words, photos.
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BUSINESS
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GOOGLE-APPLE-ANTITRUST-CYCLE — The U.S. Justice Department’s double-barreled antitrust attack on Google’s dominant search and Apple’s trendsetting iPhone is reviving memories of the epic battle that hobbled Microsoft before it roared back to yet again become the world’s most valuable company. SENT: 910 words, photos.
FEDERAL-RESERVE — After three straight hotter-than-expected inflation reports, Federal Reserve officials have turned more cautious about the prospect of interest rate cuts this year. SENT: 820 words, photo.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Asian stocks fell with most of the markets in the region closed for a holiday. Meanwhile, U.S. stocks closed out their worst month since September. Oil prices were lower and U.S. futures were mixed. SENT: 600 words, photos, audio.
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SPORTS
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76ERS-KNICKS — Tyrese Maxey saved Philadelphia from elimination with seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation, finished with 46 and led the 76ers to a 112-106 overtime victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first-round series. SENT: 900 words, photos.
PACERS-BUCKS — Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis each scored 29 points and the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks kept their season alive by routing the Indiana Pacers 115-92 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. SENT: 450 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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Hundreds of sea lions gather on the docks at Pier 39, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in San Francisco. According to harbormaster Sheila Candor, the sea lion count has been the largest in 15 years. (Yuri Avila/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)
This image provided by Maxar Technologies, shows an April 29, 2024, aerial view of USNS Roy P. Benavidez and floating dock sections during construction of the U.S. military's floating dock that is being assembled offshore of Gaza. The dock and floating pier will be part of the Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) system that will help deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza,. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)
Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A Pro-Palestinian protester is arrested by law enforcement at the University of South Florida MLK Plaza Fountain on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
New York City police enter an upper floor of Hamilton Hall on the Columbia University campus using a tactical vehicle, in New York Tuesday, April 30, 2024, after a building was taken over by protesters earlier Tuesday. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
New York City police officers take people into custody near the Columbia University campus in New York Tuesday, April 30, 2024, after a building taken over by protesters earlier in the day was cleared, along with a tent encampment. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
