Man arrested, charged in suspected ‘organized theft’ involving briefcases containing coins, cash

KETTERING — A man is in custody after police say he allegedly was driving a rental car with stolen merchandise from an organized theft Sunday.

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Officers responded to the Speedway around 3:50 p.m. on Woodman Drive and Dorothy Lane to a reported theft, according to a Kettering Police spokesperson.

A citizen and street cameras guided officers to a suspect as he was walking through the parking lot of the Meijer on Wilmington Pike after shedding a sweatshirt.

An investigation revealed it was an organized theft from a car where three suspects followed the victim to a coin show on Woodman Drive,

The suspects allegedly tampered with one of the victim’s tires in his van, which he later pulled into the Speedway to check it out.

Another suspect allegedly distracted the victim from inside as another two briefcases containing bags of coins and cash were removed from his van.

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Luis Lopez Rodriguez, 32, is in Kettering Jail on felony theft charges. He is also been charged with possessing criminal tools, according to online jail records.

The rental car he was reportedly driving was found with both briefcases containing both cash and coins.

No bond or court date has been currently set, according to online jail records.

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