Long Beach Man Arrested In Baggage Theft At LAX

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Authorities announced Thursday that a 23-year-old man was arrested in the theft of luggage from passenger baggage claim areas at the Los Angeles Airport.

According to the LAX Police Department, Ryan Green of Long Beach was taken into custody on suspicion of commercial burglary after officers connected him to the theft through surveillance video.

Officers explained they monitored passenger baggage claim areas over the weekend in response to a reported increase in baggage thefts from the terminals on the south side of the airport.

Green was spotted taking a bag from a carousel in Terminal 5 and leaving the area.

Police reported they believed he was responsible for previous baggage thefts at the airport, which prompted officers to follow him to a nearby terminal.

According to investigators, Green proceeded to take an additional bag that did not belong to him from a carousel.

Authorities then followed him into the men's restroom, where he was heard shuffling through the stolen bags in a handicapped stall.

When he left the bathroom, officers said, Green threw one of the smaller pieces of luggage into a nearby trash bin and walked to a shuttle stop outside the terminal to leave the airport.

Police subsequently arrested Green. He admitted to taking the luggage and provided a written statement that stated he used his mother's airline "buddy pass" to fly into LAX from San Jose earlier that day.

Officials said they passed the case along to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, which issued five felony counts of commercial burglary against Green on Tuesday.