The rash of burglaries we’ve reported in the last two weeks continues, as thieves attempted another hit Tuesday night in Tarzana.
Police are still unsure if the same gang is responsible for the string of burglaries south of Ventura Blvd. from Woodland Hills to Tarzana, but on Tuesday night four men wearing masks jumped a wall onto a property in the 5400 block of Aura Avenue. The residents were reportedly in the home at the time.
Julian Harper-Smith, a neighbor with a sophisticated security system that includes three cameras, saw them on his monitor and flashed bright lights at them.
As they were running to their car Harper-Smith fired at them with a paintball gun.
“I put my flashlight down and just gave them a couple paintball shots to the back of the car just to tell them to ‘stay away,’” he said.
With this increase in actual and attempted burglaries, LAPD has said they have increased patrols, including mounted officers who have been seen riding through the various neighborhoods.
Smith told ABC News, “The thievery that goes on around here, it happens all the time. If you keep your windows locked, your doors locked, they’re most likely not gonna go in.” Of course, paintball hits are also a deterrent, as they pack a punch, and in this case, were enough to scare off the masked intruders.
