EDITORS NOTE: This post has been updated with the area where the burglaries took place.
Some residents on Los Angeles’ West Side are fortifying their homes with cameras, barbed wire, alarms and even German shepherds after counting at least seven burglaries within the past week.
Neighbors recently came forward with security footage showing about three or four burglars strike time after time in one Palms neighborhood. The suspects dress in dark clothing, cover their faces with masks and are equipped with Wi-Fi jammers.
“They knew exactly where to go,” said one victim. “They had a crew of people. It was very in and out.”
Residents who spoke with KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff on Monday wished to remain anonymous, worried they may be targeted again.
“The concerning part is it’s happening during the day now which is scary when you have kids and a family,” said a concerned neighbor.
One video captured an attempted break-in on Glendon Avenue near Queensland, showing the thieves using a house under construction as their entry point.
The homeowners said this was the fourth break-in within the last year-and-a-half, despite their best efforts to install barbed wire and have their dogs on standby.
“You would think you would be safe if you have two German shepherds at home,” said one of the homeowners. “They must have drugged the dogs because the dogs were terrified after that.”
A few blocks away, thieves successfully smashed their way inside a house on Veteran Avenue, specifically looking for jewelry and designer handbags.
“What they do is, the driver drops off the burglars and then circles the block,” a resident explained. “So, we’re telling our neighbors, if you see someone circling the block suspiciously because they’re waiting for the burglars to finish the job and come pick them up.”
One surveillance camera caught the getaway car, a white Toyota Camry, spotted circling the area on a few occasions.
“I went and got my weapon when that happened and brought it down to the living room,” said a resident. “Who wants to live like this?”
Some neighbors said they worry about leaving their house, not knowing what they’ll find when they return.
“When I’m not here for hours, I’m very apprehensive when I get back, am I going to be broken into?” said Mar Vista resident Eliot Griner. “I just don’t want to come home to a disaster.”
Lizzie Chapman of nearby Rancho Park said burglars are a problem in her neighborhood as well.
“Our neighbor was broken into last night … They turned off all the power and they broke in. It was the second time they broke into her house,” Chapman said. “We got together with the block and we hired private security … because we just need extra protection … It’s really frustrating actually,” she said.
The Los Angeles Police Department hosted a Zoom call for the neighborhood where they assured residents that they’re beefing up patrols. Many people said they hope that response times improve, too.
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