>> SPECIAL EDITION OF ABC, 10 NEWS STARTS NOW. >> WE BEGIN WITH 18, 10 EXCLUSIVE AT THE SAN DIEGO AIRPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF ABC. 10 NEWS. I AM. >> AND I'M KIMBERLY HUNT EARLIER THIS YEAR, LUGGAGE STARTED DISAPPEARING FROM THE ARRIVALS AREA. TEAM 10 INVESTIGATOR AUSTIN GRABISH SPENT MONTHS DIGGING INTO IT. AND TONIGHT HE SHOWS HOW ONE MAN STOLE MULTIPLE PIECES OF LUGGAGE. >> KEEP YOUR EYES ON THIS AT FIRST, IT SEEMS HE'S A HELPING HAND. WELL, WAIT. HERE HE IS AGAIN AND AGAIN. TAKING SUU KYI SAYS THAT ART WATCH AS HE LEAVES THE AIRPORT AND STOPPED THESE TRAVELERS STARING ALMOST THINKING SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT. I THINK THIS BELIEF IS PROBABLY BIGGEST THING FOR ME. >> BECAUSE I'M I MY THOUGHT WHAT WAS? THAT'S SO RISKY SOMEBODY TO WALK OVER AND JUST PICK UP A SUITCASE BECAUSE LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE STANDING AROUND THERE WAITING ON THEIR SUITCASES. KARL JOSEPH SKI IS ONE OF THE VICTIMS WHO HAD HIS BAG STOLEN FROM SAN DIEGO'S AIRPORT EARLIER THIS YEAR. AND YOU WERE LEFT WITH NOTHING BUT THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACK. JUST THE CLOTHES ON MY BACK IS ALL I HAD. THAT'S RIGHT. THE SHIRT HE WORE FOR OUR INTERVIEW, A REPLACEMENT FOR ONE THAT WAS IN HIS BAG. >> HIS WIFE CODY SAYS SHE THOUGHT THE SUITCASE WAS LOST, NOT STOLEN UNTIL A POLICE OFFICER CALLED. HE SAID THAT HE WAS INVESTIGATING ARE ARE LOST LUGGAGE. >> THAT IT HAD NOT TURNED UP IN THE AIRPORT ANYWHERE. HIS FIRST QUESTION WAS, CAN YOU IDENTIFY YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A DARKER BLUE. IT'S A HARD SIDE ROLLER CARRY ON SIZE AND IN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SAID, YEP, I'M WATCHING THE GUY OUT WITH IT RIGHT NOW INSIDE THE BAG WAS KARL PADRES? TIE. >> HE WORE TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS WERE BIG. SAN DIEGO PADRES FANS. THE THAI I'M NOW MORE THAN 8 MONTHS LATER. TEAM 10 IS FINALLY LEARNING HOW THIS STOLEN LUGGAGE RING OPERATED. INTERNAL POLICE DOCUMENTS I OBTAINED THROUGH A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST SHOW A MAN NAMED ALBERTO ESTRADA WAS ARRESTED FOR STEALING BAGS BACK IN FEBRUARY. DETECTIVES USED SURVEILLANCE VIDEO TO CRACK THE CASE BUT WEREN'T SURE WHO THE THIEF WAS UNTIL AN AIRPORT TRAFFIC OFFICER RECOGNIZED HIM. 2 DAYS LATER, I GOT THE VIDEO THEY USED AFTER FILING A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST WITH THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY HARBOR. POLICE ARRESTED THE BAGGAGE. STEVE, NOT FAR FROM HERE AT THE AIRPORT AND FOUND 14 STOLEN BAGS TAKEN FROM HERE. >> IN THE BACK OF HIS PICKUP TRUCK. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL POLICE FOUND. ACCORDING TO THIS AFFIDAVIT FOR A SEARCH WARRANT, WHEN OFFICERS ARRESTED THE THIEF, THEY FOUND 2 HOTEL KEY CARDS ON HIM, WHICH OF THEM HERE TO THE MOTEL, 6 IN ESCONDIDO WHERE THEY FOUND EVEN MORE STOLEN BAGS AND OTHER ITEMS FROM THE AIRPORT. IT WAS THE SAME TIME FRAME, SAME BAGGAGE CAROUSEL FOR ALL THIS STUFF. SO THAT WAS KIND OF A CLUE, HAVE THEIRS. >> SOMEBODY GETTING A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN STAKING A LOT OF BAGS THAT WANTS. DETECTIVE SERGEANT DANIEL MON SAYS NO ACCOMPLICE WAS EVER CAUGHT, BUT A STRAW WAS SEEN ON CAMERA WITH ANOTHER MAN VOTING. A VEHICLE WAS STOLEN PROPERTY BOWEN SAYS THERE'S BEEN 54 REPORTS OF STOLEN BAGS THIS YEAR AT THE AIRPORT. >> BUT THE NUMBER COULD BE HIGHER BECAUSE IT DOESN'T INCLUDE REPORTS MADE TO AIRLINES LAST YEAR THERE WERE 96 STOLEN THAT THESE ARE OUT THERE. AND IT DOES SEEM TO BE AND INCREASING CRIME THAT WE HEAR ABOUT THIS TRAVEL EXPERT RECOMMENDS AVOIDING CHECKING BAGS AND SUGGESTS USING A CREDIT CARD TO PAY FOR FLIGHTS. SOME AIRLINE CREDIT CARDS, SOME TRAVEL CREDIT CARDS WILL REIMBURSE YOU FOR LOST OR STOLEN LUGGAGE. >> UP TO AS MUCH AS $3,000 IN THE END AS STRAW DO WAS LINKED TO SEVERAL OTHER STOLEN BAG INVESTIGATIONS. COURT RECORDS SHOW HE PLEADED GUILTY TO 22 COUNTS OF BURGLARY AND WAS SENTENCED TO 180 DAYS IN JAIL. HE IS NOW OUT ON PROBATION AND MUST STAY AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT UNLESS HE'S QUIET JAIL STILL WONDERS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS SUITCASE. >> MON SAYS DETECTIVES FOUND SEVERAL BAGS WITHOUT TAGS AND TRIED HARD TO GET THE STOLEN PROPERTY REUNITED WITH VICTIMS BUT SELL-OFFS KEYS BAG NEVER SURFACED OWN SAYS THE CLOTHES ARE LIKELY LONG GONE. WE SUSPECT WHO WAS SELLING THEM AT SWAP MEETS FREE MARKETS OR OFFER UP FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE THAT TYPE OF THING. SO AND REMEMBER THAT BELOVED PADRES TIED AND A FRIEND OF MINE AT OUR CHURCH IN IDAHO. >> ABOUT THE 3RD SUNDAY AFTER CAME UP. AND HE SAYS, HEY, I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU. JUST SAW GOT A SURPRISE REPLICA. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM DON'T STOP AT THE RESTROOM. BEFORE YOU GO GET YOUR LUGGAGE GOES STRAIGHT TO THE COUNTER AND GRABBED LEAD. 28, WHEN IT POPS OVER THAT SOME SOUND ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO'S LEARNED THE LESSON THE HARD WAY. >> AUSTIN GRABISH >> ABC, 10 NEWS AND THAT IS A GREAT LESSON. I WILL TAKE THAT TO HEART. AUSTIN STARTED INVESTIGATING AFTER RECEIVING A TIP FROM A
