UCLA student becomes one of LAX travelers targeted by luggage thief – NBC Los Angeles

A UCLA student is one of the latest victims of luggage theft at LAX as authorities nabbed a suspected thief who may be behind several stolen travel bags. 

Ivie Ojior was on her way back to Westwood for a new quarter this month, but he returned to the campus without her suitcase because she said her bag was stolen.

“I get here at around 9 O’clock-ish, and my bag is now coming into the carousel,” Ojior said. “I go talk to the gate agent they have down there, and they’re like you need to call the airport police and file a claim.”

LAX police did not respond to NBC Los Angeles’ request for information, but an email from an LAX police detective shows that an arrest was made in the case, and Ojior was one of the seven people who had their luggage stolen by the same person.

“I have a New York Fire Department T-shirt that I love, and my dad’s old collage sweatshirt that I like to wear. My dresses for the sorority are all gone,” the student explained, saying she lost everything that was inside the suitcase. 

Just last month, a West Hollywood man took matters into his own hands after his luggage was stolen from LAX by following the AirTag attached to the suitcase. 

Daniel Scott ended up locating his bag inside a boarded-up abandoned building near Sepulveda Boulevard and 98th Street.

“I knew my luggage tag said that it was in the vicinity,” Scott said, adding his partner immediately called LAX police.

When officers arrived, they used their flashlight to shine light inside the abandoned building.

“And then when the guys came to the window, (officers) lined them up in the window. I saw the guy with my clothes on – my shoes on, my shirt on, my pants on,” Scott described.

While Scott retrieved his suitcase and 90% of his clothes, Ojior never got her belongings back, starting the new school year with only a few pairs of clothes. 

“I come from a middle class family. No purchase is taken lightly,” sahd said. “It really hurts to think it can be just ripped away like that.”

The student, as she was wearing the same clothes she had on when her luggage was stolen, said she’s working to get reimbursed for what she lost while hoping LAX and airlines will do more to protect people’s baggage. 

“It’s such a long process to get to the airport, to get through TSA, to check in a bag, but after that, it’s just up in the air. Whatever happens happens to you. And you have to be the one to deal with that fallout,” Ojior said. 

NBCLA reached out to Delta as the student claimed the airliner was unresponsive to her reimbursement request.