LONG BEACH, Calif., April 30 (UPI) -- A 31-year-old man Friday was accused stealing more than $200,000 of items while working as a baggage handler at Long Beach Municipal Airport.
Police said Edgar Mejia of Paramount, Calif., was arrested after authorities set up a sting operation. Mejia had worked for ATS, a subcontractor for American Airlines, KABC-TV in Los Angeles reported.
Police Sgt. Paul LeBaron said between last August and February of this year, police received an increased number of reports of thefts from the luggage of passengers on American Airlines flights through the airport.
Police, working with the airline, set up a sting using decoy luggage and arrested Mejia after he allegedly opened the luggage. Officers then searched his home and recovered more than $200,000 worth of stolen items, LeBaron said.
Among items recovered were Rolex watches, fine jewelry, cameras, computer equipment and a jersey owned by Indiana Pacers basketball player Ron Artest, LeBaron said.
