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Thomas did not commit the thefts himself, but worked with numerous converter thieves whom he would meet in strip malls and motel parking lots to purchase the stolen goods, prosecutors said.

The bus rumbles past strip malls, apartment buildings and walled-off condominium complexes.

A strip mall, for instance, could be transformed into tennis courts or a public garden with fire-resistant plants.

Working-class Latinos grabbed them in tandem from racks at laundromats, grocery stores and strip malls.

Preparing for three days of digging at 35 locations, they gather in the parking lot of a Pasadena strip mall for a tutorial.