Two San Fernando Valley men are currently in custody awaiting trial, accused of stealing dozens of backpacks and other items from UCLA dining halls.
According to university police Detective Andrew Ikeda, UCPD arrested Benjamin Ciotti, a 25-year-old UCLA graduate, on April 6 at Covel Commons. Ciotti is accused of stealing backpacks from the Covel Commons and De Neve dining halls January through March.
On May 19, they arrested 26-year-old Jason Duvall at his San Fernando Valley workplace. Duvall has no connections with UCLA, though he told police that he frequently visited UCLA with Ciotti and was familiar with the Hill.
According to Ikeda, Ciotti, who reportedly stole $4,860 worth of items, and Duvall, who was reportedly responsible for $1,775 in losses, allegedly stole from backpacks that had been left unattended in the dining halls during lunch and dinner.
“In some cases, the backpack was not gone, but the property was taken from inside the backpacks. The property that was taken was usually laptop computers, iPods, textbooks, things of that nature,” Ikeda said.
Through surveillance cameras in the dining halls, police identified Ciotti, who they knew from a prior arrest. Both Ciotti and Duvall had been arrested in September for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police believe they were selling the stolen items from the dining halls to pawnshops, Ikeda said.
Police recovered some students’ stolen items, including a laptop, at San Fernando Valley pawnshops and Duvall’s home.
However, Abraham Botros, a second-year physiological science student who had his backpack stolen from the De Neve dining hall in January, is one of the many students whose stolen items have never been found.
“I filed a report the same day, but it was never recovered,” Botros said. “The total loss was probably $100. It was little things (stolen), but that adds up.”
According to police, Ciotti has been charged with seven counts of commercial burglary, four counts of grand theft, three counts of petty theft, one count of felony for resisting officers, and one count of battery against a police officer.
Duvall has been charged with two counts of commercial burglary, one count of grand theft, and one count of petty theft with prior conviction, which is a felony.
To prevent backpack thefts, UCPD recommends that students use the lockers provided at the dining halls.
In the event something has been stolen, students should contact police immediately, UCPD crime prevention officer Luis De Vivero said.
“I always put my backpacks in the locker now,” Botros said.