Saturday, August 2, 2014

Minor Format Change

I've updated the format with the intent to provide a bit more space for text and perhaps to make posts easier to read.  I hope you like it!

Several Events

My sincere apologies for posting delays.  Issues arose that prevent posting for a while.


Daylight Burglary, June 12th on Lapaz Drive
Between 9:00 and 9:30 AM, a burglar jumped a fence, cut a screen to open a window and entered a house.  A lookout posing as a vacuum cleaner demonstrator walked from house to house on the block.

The lookout was described as a cleanly dressed black male adult wearing a white shirt, dark jeans, and white shoes. (resembling Kobe Bryant according to the witness).  The lookout walked from house to house, skipping houses that had cars in the driveway (behavior consistent with casing houses).  A resident noted that the lookout appeared to be texting, probably keeping the burglar updated.  The lookout went to the victim's door and was admitted by the burglar.  The resident witnessing this called 911, and the Sheriff's department responded with a few minutes.  
During this time, a plumb-colored sports car had parked in front of the house.  The resident didn't see anyone enter the vehicle, but heard it drive away prior to the sheriff's arrival.  The Sheriff's department set up a perimeter and sent in their k-9 unit.  The burglars had left with a TV.  They had also staged a pillowcase with jewelry in it under the couch.  Crime scene investigators came to take fingerprints.
Chuck's Advice:
While you don't need to answer the door for solicitors, be sure to call through the door that you're not interested.  Most burglars aren't looking for confrontation and will move on.  Exchange best contact numbers with neighbors you trust so you can keep each other updated if something does happen.  Lock your gates and use double cylinder deadbolts on your front doors.  Other helpful devices include motion sensing lights, driveway alarms and other products designed to protect your home, but nothing can replace an alert neighbor willing to call the police to report suspicious activity or a crime in progress.
Solicitors, 3800 Block of Duran Circle, June 9th
From a resident:  A woman in a red shirt with dirty brown hair in a pony tail knocked on our door to ask if our car was for sale.   We do we have a for sale sign on a car and she looked a bit rough,  so we were suspicious.  She went back to her champagne colored car, perhaps a Toyota, driven by a man with a young child in the back and drove off, turning right onto La Paz from Duran Circle.  I stood at the window with my camera phone trying to get a photo but I didn't.  They did see me doing that though.
Recycling Thieves, 2500 Block of Cambon, June 9th
The below photo is a picture of a van with two African Americans, female driver and the male that goes through your garbage and recycle.  I have seen them around this area for over a year now on recycle day.  It is a dark green van, when he is confronted he runs and jumps in the sliding door.  They drive around with the door open so he can get in and out quickly.

 If that picture looks familiar, it should.  We have a better photograph of the van from in this post (linked here). 
Remember to call the Sheriff's Department non-emergency number.  Stealing recycling is a crime.  From the other post, the van's license plate appears to be 5WVP982.  Give it to the Sheriff's department.  Even if these people have fled, they can be caught.  A pullover would probably keep them out of our neighborhood in the future.
Neighboring Area
Drive By Shooting
From a friend who lives on Whitney near Becerra -
Tuesday 5/27 around 2:20 p.m.

While returning home this afternoon from a quick bike trip for some shed parts at Emigh Hardware, I nearly became involved in a drive by shooting at the corner of Watt and Whitney.

A BMW SUV was being chased South bound on Watt Ave. by at least two men in a white sedan. The BMW pulled into the corner 7-11, the sedan followed and fired off 4 shots into the driver's side door, window, and rear tire, then sped off Eastbound on Whitney Avenue, right past my place!