Four people are accused of pulling off a distraction-style theft at the Guitar Center in Westlake Village, slipping out of the store with a high-end DJ controller while employees were busy elsewhere. Detectives say the group then took off in a black or gray Toyota Prius, and the case is now classified as grand theft. They are hoping fresh surveillance photos will jog someone’s memory.
What Detectives Say
According to the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station, the theft happened Monday, when one person allegedly grabbed an AlphaTheta-brand DJ controller while three others distracted staff inside the store. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu/Lost Hills detectives released surveillance stills showing four suspects and a suspected getaway Prius, and labeled the case as grand theft. The post also includes direct contact information for detectives and options for anonymous tips.
Suspect Descriptions
Detectives describe one suspect as a Hispanic man about 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds, wearing a black baseball cap, a white, red and green striped sweater, denim shorts and black-and-white shoes, with a dark tattoo on his right shin. Two women are described as about 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-6, both in black clothing and sunglasses. One has a black tattoo across her right upper arm, while the other was carrying a black purse and wearing a crop top. A second man is described as roughly 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, wearing a blue baseball cap and a black T-shirt with “don ed hardy” printed on the back.
Where It Happened
The theft was reported at the Guitar Center in the Russell Ranch Road shopping area of Westlake Village. The store’s online listing places the Westlake Village location on Russell Ranch Road, according to Guitar Center. Investigators say surveillance footage from inside the store helped them pull the images now circulating publicly.
How to Report Tips
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Malibu/Lost Hills Station Detective Bureau at (818) 878-1808, per the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Anonymous tips can be submitted to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or through the P3Tips mobile app. Detectives say it is especially helpful if callers reference the surveillance images in the case.
A Local Pattern
This is not the first time the Westlake Village Guitar Center has been targeted. In August 2023, authorities again turned to the public after a woman allegedly walked out with guitars, and a 2022 theft of a high-end microphone at the same store led to an arrest, as reported by KNX News.
Legal Note
The Sheriff’s Department is treating the case as grand theft. Under California law, that typically applies when the value of stolen property exceeds $950. State court guidance explains that theft above that threshold can be prosecuted as grand theft under Penal Code section 487, according to the Judicial Council of California.
Detectives are urging anyone who recognizes the people in the released photos or who noticed a black or gray Toyota Prius near the Russell Ranch Road shopping area on Monday to contact the Malibu/Lost Hills detective bureau. Information can also be shared anonymously through L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers, and investigators are banking on the posted stills to shake loose some leads.
