Residents are on edge as a fifth home has been burglarized in the west valley in the last two weeks.
A home on Rubio Avenue in Encino was hit last night. This follows two burglaries in Woodland Hills on July 12 in the 4500 block of Del Moreno and 4400 block of Winnetka, another home in Encino the same night in the 16000 block of Morrison Street, and a home in the 4900 block of Edgerton Street in Encino that was hit twice – July 11 and 15.
LAPD is investigating the string of burglaries but at press time has no suspect information. Though there is no confirmation that the crimes are related, the pattern and timing seems to suggest that they are.
In the case of the home on Rubio, the homeowner actually walked in to find four men ransacking her house after breaking a window. They escaped in a white Chrysler with $7,000 worth of high-end bags and shoes.
Many neighbors believe that the burglars are staking out houses to scope out what residents’ habits are – when they leave for work or pick up children from school.
One woman told KTLA News that she has seen random cars cruising her neighborhood and said that she could join Neighborhood Watch, call the police, do everything she could, but that, “Los Angeles’ soft on crime policies are failing law-abiding citizens.”
Anyone with information on the incidents is urged to call LAPD.
