ALHAMBRA >> Police posing as a Craiglist shopper arrested a moving company employee Tuesday after he offered to sell them a Rolex watch stolen from the home of one of his customers during a recent moving job, officials said.
Stanislav Kirsanov, 30, of Sherman Oaks was booked on suspicion of grand theft after police set up a sting operation, Alhambra police Sgt. Edward Elizalde said in a written statement.
A couple called police on Monday to reports several items of jewelry had gone missing from their home as they were moving from one part of the city to another, Elizalde said.
“The couple suspected the workers from the moving company were involved,” he said.
Within days, the couple noticed one of the missing items, a men’s Rolex watch with distinctive markings, was being offered for sale on the online marketplace Craigslist.com.
Posing as a Craigslist shopper interested in the expensive watch, detectives arranged to meet the seller, later identified as Kirsanov, police said.
“Detectives conducted the undercover sting operation in Sherman Oaks and took possession of the stolen watch and detained the person selling it,” Elizalde said.
Police found additional pieces of high-end jewelry, jewelry bags and jewelry cases which they believe were stolen in similar thefts, he said.
Moving company’s Kirsanov was believed to be associated with include Mr. Low Prices, Affordable Movers Co. and Best in the West Moving and Storage, Elizalde said.
“It is possible Mr. Kirsanov may have committed similar thefts while working as a mover for one of the above mentioned moving companies,” he said. “Mr. Kirsanov has used different names in the past and may be known by a variety of aliases.”
Anyone who has hired Kirsanov or the companies he’s affiliated with and noticed items missing are encouraged to contact Alhambra police at 626-570-5157.