Four Suspects Charged in Organized Retail Theft in the South Lake Avenue Shopping District

On Friday, Pasadena Police announced the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office has charged four suspects arrested earlier this month near the South Lake Avenue Shopping District with organized retail theft and vehicle burglaries, following an operation conducted by the Pasadena Police Department Detective Section.

During the operation, which took place on September 8, detectives turned their attention to Macy’s at 401 S. Lake Avenue.

Inside the store, detectives monitored four individuals methodically selecting high-value clothing items and concealing them. The suspects then left the store without attempting to pay for the merchandise.

Despite initial efforts to evade capture, three of the suspects were apprehended following a short chase.

A fourth suspect attempted to escape by vehicle and drove directly toward an officer who was in a black-and-white police unit. The suspect narrowly avoided colliding with the officer’s vehicle. To stop the suspect’s attempt to flee, an officer deployed an intervention technique and disabled the suspect’s vehicle.

On September 11 the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed a felony complaint against each suspect involved.

Vasile Alberto Balan was charged with one count of PC 487(a) Grand Theft, with bail set at $300,000. Sorin Marin Stefan, Mihaela Simion, and Cosmin Lucian Cismary were each charged with one count of PC 487(a) Grand Theft, and bail was set at $250,000 for each.

Detectives are currently investigating the suspects’ involvement in other thefts within the vicinity. The suspects have been connected with thefts across Los Angeles and Orange counties, as well as Clark County.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the Pasadena Police at (626)- 744-4241 or report information anonymously by contacting “Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222- TIPS (8477), via your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.