A Beverlywood business has been hit by the theft of an expensive sofa, but now, with a little help from some savvy members of the community, the owners think they know who stole it.
Anyone who visits Merit in Beverlywood will notice they sell a lot of items, including “hard-to-find items” like mid-century furniture, artwork, memorabilia and taxidermy, owner Paul Bearman said. . But early Monday morning, a thief cut off a camera’s video feed and broke into the business to steal a $58,000 sofa.
“It’s called the Mah Jong sofa. Made in Missoni fabric, it looks like a woman’s dress. It’s really pretty, silk and corduroy, a beautiful pattern,” Bearmn said.
The artifact has been missing since World War II and is believed to have been brought from Germany to the United States by a soldier.
Marcos, the gallery manager, described surveillance showing a man backing up with a white van in front of the business. He cut the video feed, then burst into the store and committed the crime.
“The guy knew exactly what he was looking for. He didn’t take anything else. He walked in, took that item and left,” Bearman said.
After police arrived, Bearman took to social media and offered a reward in hopes of getting it back.
“It got a lot of attention and we had some successes as well,” he said. “There was an anonymous ad that said the exact words: ‘I know who took your couch.'”
Bearman showed videos sent to him by an anonymous tipster. He said the first shows someone leaving a white van outside a downtown apartment complex just hours after the robbery.
“You see him unloading my couch, which is extremely specific in pattern and color, and taking it home,” Bearman said.
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Bearman said he recognized the person in the video and said several business owners contacted the suspected thief. He wants the suspect arrested, and he’d like his couch back.
“To me, it’s more about principle and rape,” Bearman said.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has not made an arrest and said its investigation is ongoing.
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station NBCLA. Click here to read this story in English.