Vigilant coin dealer helps take down $300,000 Redlands coin theft suspects in Long Beach

REDLANDS >> Two men coected to the theft of several rare coins from a Redlands home were arrested in Long Beach at a coin expo, police officials said.

• VIDEO: $300,000 Redlands coin-theft suspects taken down at Long Beach coin show

The unidentified men were arrested after the vendor at the Long Beach Coin, Currency, Stamp & Sports Collectible Show, which took place late last week, recognized some of the coins the men were trying to sell as those reported stolen June 8 from a home in the 1600 block of Camelot Drive, according to Redlands Police officials.

The coins were valued at $300,000, according to CoinWeek.

The vendor alerted security, and when the men tried to run off, they were stopped by security persoel who then called Long Beach police.

Detectives from Redlands and Long Beach police found about half of the stolen property on the two along with a Cadillac key, officials said.

Authorities searched the Long Beach Convention Center parking lot for a Cadillac but were unsuccessful in finding it.

Early the next moing, Long Beach police received a call of a suspicious vehicle in an apartment complex near the convention center, according to police.

Officers found two women trying to have a Cadillac towed officials said. Investigators later leaed the key found on one of the men at the coin show matched that Cadillac.

Authorities searched the vehicle and found the remaining stolen property, Redlands police said.

The identities of those arrested have not been released.