Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

“Hot Prowl Burglaries” on the Rise

A recent series of “hot prowl burglaries” promoted local security firm SSA to send out a crime alert to clients that SSA shared with the Buzz.

A “hot prowl burglary” is a law enforcement term used to describe when a burglar enters a dwelling when the residents are home. The recent hot prowl burglaries have occurred at all hours of the day and night and have been reported to police and posted on social media sites like NextDoor.

Last week, on Thursday, September 14th in the evening there was a violent home invasion in Brookside on the 800 block of Kenniston Ave. According to the report on NextDoor posted by a Brookside HOA board member:

“The female resident was awakened by one of three masked men choking her. The female resident was beaten, blind-folded, and her life with threatened with a gun. All three men were masked, “ninja style” and their faces were not seen by the resident. The assailants stole the homeowner’s jewelry. The homeowner and the police both asked that I inform other Brookside residents to be vigilant regarding their home security. Remember to lock your doors.”

Just yesterday, another post reported  a home break-in in the 800 South Block of Orange Drive. According to the post, the owner was home and confronted the intruder who was ransacking the bedroom. The intruder fled leaving his backpack on the side of another neighbor’s house who reported it to police.  The following is the description of intruder: Hair: Blk, Top: Black leather jacket, Age: 40’s, Build: Stocky, Race: African American, Sex: Male, Other details: Greyish beard

 On Monday, SSA reported an incident in the  300 block of S. June Street in Hancock Park at approximately 10am.  An SSA officer responded to a client’s home after receiving a call from the client.  According to SSA, two household employees (housekeeper and cook) were in the kitchen and the homeowner (client) was upstairs when this crime occurred (9:30 to 10:00AM).

SSA shared the following report and safety recommendations:

Of interest, at around 10am, the housekeeper went into a game room, located off the driveway and noted several drawers were opened and a few antiques were moved from shelves and placed on a pool table.  From the kitchen window, the housekeeper and the cook then noted a male/white or Hispanic/late 50’s/5-2 (estimate)/ wearing jeans.  They both described him as looking like a “homeless person”, walking away from the house and toward the driveway.

Further inspection revealed the suspect had removed a leather briefcase from the game room and possibly other small items.
LAPD was called the scene and a report was completed.
Currently, the cameras of the home and adjacent residences are being reviewed to see if any image of the suspect was captured.  Also, the SSA cars are scanning the homeless congregation locations to ascertain if they can spot this suspect or the client’s property.
It is a good time to go over some helpful tips to make your home a hard target:
When Home ( as these suspects are becoming more brazen): 
1.   Ensure doors and windows a locked.
2.   Ensure the driveway gate and side gates (ped gate if one exists) are shut and locked (if
       you have one).
 3.   It is also a good idea to have the perimeter alarm set to the activate position.
4.  Have all employees make periodic checks of the premises and if anything out of the
      ordinary is observed, call the SSA car immediately on the in-car cell phone.
5.  If someone knocks at your door or rings the door bell and you do not know that person or
      are not expecting someone, do not open the door but let them know you are inside.
      immediately,   Call the SSA car to see who this/these person(s) are.
Make your Home Look Lived in Even when you’re not there:
  1. Ensure the alarm is set whenever you depart and the perimeter alarm when in for the evening.
  2. Know your neighbors and talk with them often.
  3. If you do not have a reliable security company, have a trusted neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers.
  4. Arrange for gardeners to continue to mow your lawn if you’re gone for an extended period.
  5. If bushes hide windows or doors from the front, trim them to allow anyone to observe a criminal.
  6. Ask a neighbor to park a car in your driveway while you’re gone.
  7. USE TIMED SWITCHES OR SMALL DIGITAL TIMERS on your lights, TV and stereo. Look for timers that turn on and off randomly, rather than on a set schedule.
Note; During a pretext visit, skilled burglars may pass by home just after dark and into the evening to ascertain if anyone is home 
  1. Don’t broadcast your absence on a note taped to your door or by announcing it on your telephone answering machine.
  2. Turn your telephone ringer down or off. This way a burglar is less likely to hear the ringing of unanswered calls and realize no one is home.
PRETEXT OF A CRIME-ASCERTAINING IF ANYONE IS HOME
  1. Be sure entrance doors have wide-angle peepholes or view grills so you can see visitors without opening the door.
  2. Ask anyone who comes to your door for identification before allowing them inside.
  3. Call the security company to respond and identify anyone who is not expected or known.
  4. Keep valuable papers and records like stocks and bonds, duplicate copies of your will, valuable stamp and coin collections, and jewelry you don’t frequently wear, in your safe deposit box.
  5. Give parking lot attendants and mechanics your ignition key only, not your house key. Don’t carry an identification tag on your key ring either. This could help a would-be thief easily identify your home and vehicle.
IF YOU OBSERVE A POSSIBLE OR SUSPECTED BURGLAR:
  • Obtain a description of the suspect(s)’ physical appearance, actions and any vehicle descriptions, including license plate numbers.
  • DO NOT confront suspicious individuals.  THAT IS WHAT WE ARE FOR.
If suspicious activity is observed and you are a subscriber to SSA Security, contact your SSA SECURITY PATROL VEHICLE at the numbers you have and/or the L.A.P.D. 911 (emergency) or 877-ask-LAPD (877-275-5273) (non-emergency).
The Staff,
SSA SECURITY GROUP, INC.
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Patricia Lombard
Patricia Lombard
Patricia Lombard is the publisher of the Larchmont Buzz. Patty lives with her family in Fremont Place. She has been active in neighborhood issues since moving here in 1989. Her pictorial history, "Larchmont" for Arcadia Press is available at Chevalier's Books.

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