Irvine police arrest 4 in multi-state iPads crime spree

Irvine police Wednesday arrested two men, a woman and a boy who allegedly stole iPads and other electronics from dozens of stores during a three-state crime spree.

In their latest heist, the crew allegedly stole 17 iPads from a Target store at Irvine Spectrum Tuesday. The three male suspects walked into the store around 4:20 p.m., where one of them asked to see an iPad inside a locked display case, police said.

When the employee opened the display, the three grabbed the iPads and fled through an emergency exit to a waiting Hyundai Sonata the woman was driving, police said.

Officials identified the driver as Victory Rogers, 25, of Southwestern Burien, Wash. They identified the two men as Isaiah Woods, 21, of Sun Valley and Vernon Hill, 20, of Ethrata, Wash. Police did not identify the juvenile suspect.

Using security footage and descriptions of the alleged thieves and their getaway car, investigators tracked down the suspects and their car outside a Best Buy in Moreno Valley and arrested them, police said.

Authorities now believe the four ran similar heists at 20 California stores as far south as San Diego and as far north as the Stockton area. They allegedly targeted retailers such as Target, Walmart and Best Buy.

Police said they also connected the suspects to another 12 similar thefts in Oregon and Washington.

Authorities did not say in what time period they believe the crimes took place.

The three adult suspects are being held without bail on suspicion of commercial burglary, grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said. Authorities did not release any more details on the juvenile suspect or the charges against him.