CHEVIOT HILLS, Calif. (KABC) — Los Angeles police arrested a home burglary suspect in Cheviot Hills two days after issuing a public alert for the West LA area, officials said.
At least two victims were inside the home during the break-in, which was reported around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 1000 block of Northvale Road, north of the 10 Freeway, an LAPD spokesman said. No injuries were reported.
The suspect, whose identity was not disclosed, had previously been arrested 11 times for burglary, police said.
In a public alert and burglary warning issued Monday, the LAPD noted that there has been a “wave of burglaries” against single-family homes in more than a dozen West Los Angeles neighborhoods in recent months.
Up to four men are “part of an organized burglary gang operating in West LA,” the warning said. The suspects are also known to target large homes that appeared to be unoccupied at the time of the break-in.
6 people arrested in criminal tourism raid; group allegedly operated Los Angeles-based car rental business for thieves
Officials from the FBI, LAPD and two district attorneys announced arrests in connection with the investigation into a suspected international burglary gang.
According to the police department, the intruders repeatedly used a ladder, stepladder, patio furniture or exterior drain pipes attached to the rear of the building to gain access to the second-floor balcony of the master bedroom.
“The suspects then smash or cut out a glass panel of the door, crawl inside, and steal belongings,” the LAPD statement said. “In particular, these suspects searched the master bedroom and master bedroom closet for jewelry, watches, high-value handbags, safes, and U.S. currency.”
The burglars often leave a getaway vehicle outside the home, with a member of the crew acting as a lookout in case police arrive, investigators said. They often carry portable short-range radios to communicate with the getaway vehicle and the lookout, according to LAPD.
They also carry a Wi-Fi jammer to disrupt the signal from wireless home security cameras, such as Ring or Google Nest, authorities said.
Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.