Pico Rivera man arrested in organized retail theft operation

PICO RIVERA — A Pico Rivera man was facing possible criminal charges in connection with an organized retail theft operation involving nearly $200,000 in stolen merchandise, authorities said Friday.

Sergio Arellano, 47, was arrested on Thursday and released, pending a court appearance, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The investigation was conducted by personnel from the CHP's Southern Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force, working with the Los Angeles Organized Retail Crime Task Force.

Authorities recovered 960 stolen items that were being offered for sale on the OfferUp marketplace, the CHP reported. A firearm was also seized, the CHP reported.

The location that was targeted by investigators was being used as part of a "fencing" operation, the CHP reported.

"A `fence' is an individual or group of individuals who purchase stolen retail merchandise ... and then sells the stolen merchandise at seemingly legitimate businesses, swap meets or online," the CHP said in a statement.

"It was determined the recovered merchandise had been stolen from Home Depot retailers in the greater Los Angeles region," the CHP said.