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# Confessions of a burglar: Lock your doors, watch your back
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/confessions-of-a-burglar-lock-your-doors-watch-your-back/
- Published: 2005-07-13T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:23:54.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Burglar reports he rarely had to force entry*

Even the most innocent-looking teenager can and will rob you blind.

Dozens of Santa Monica residents learned that lesson last year after a 16-year-old boy burglarized at least 32 different homes between the spring and fall.

The young criminal recently confessed to Santa Monica Police detectives that he was the burglar responsible for a slew of break-ins that occurred over six months, from April to October, and stretched from San Vicente Boulevard to the southern city limits.

The teenager’s crime spree ended, however, when he was arrested by El Segundo police in October for possessing stolen property — a cell phone taken in a Santa Monica burglary earlier that year.

When SMPD detectives interviewed the suspect, they were able to glean valuable insight from the burglar because not only did he confess, he was willing to talk about his criminal methods and how he chose particular homes to burglarize.

“There’s not a lot of guys who will tell us their methodology in doing these crimes,” said SMPD Lt. Frank Fabrega. “The information that this person gave us is valuable and can be used as a learning tool. Here’s actual information from a burglar, who is a kid. ”

SMPD officers, after gaining this look into a burglar’s mindset and methodology, intend to educate the public on how to protect themselves from future crimes.

“Here is a clear example of a young man walking through a neighborhood that didn’t look suspicious,” Fabrega. “If you see something out of the ordinary, or see a subject wandering through your neighborhood, call the police.”

The suspect, whose identity isn’t being released because he’s a juvenile, led detectives to various residential locations throughout Santa Monica where the burglaries were confirmed. The burglar disclosed that he generally entered through open windows or doors and almost never needed to force entry, police said.

He preferred Santa Monica homes because of the abundance of unsecured residences that he found, which were more prevalent west of Lincoln Boulevard as he neared the beach. The items he was most interested in taking were wallets, cell phones, purses or laptop computers, police said.

He would first knock at the front door or ring the doorbell to ensure no one was home. He would dress casually, and sometimes carried a basketball to be less conspicuous. To be extra careful, he would remove his shoes prior to entering the victim’s residence so as not to leave footprints and to reduce the amount of noise he would make. If confronted by an occupant, he would apologize and claim to be looking for the residence of a “friend.”

If detained by a curious police officer questioning his truancy, he would inform the officer that he attended school outside of Santa Monica and “was on a different schedule track.”

Many times the burglar knew neighbors had seen him in the area, but they apparently didn’t report his suspicious presence to police.

The juvenile would fill his empty back-pack with small items, hop on a bus back to Los Angeles and give the stolen property to gang members who would sell the merchandise on the street, and then give him a cut.

It’s unknown how much he made on the street or the total value of the property stolen, Fabrega said. Currently being held in a juvenile detention facility after pleading guilty to possessing stolen property, the juvenile has four months left on his sentence. But he will likely be in custody for years to come.

“Detectives are working with the DA’s office, and charges will be filed against him,” said Fabrega, adding the investigation is ongoing.

This isn’t his first run-in with the law. He’s been arrested 11 times since he was 12 years old, most of the crimes being theft-related, Fabrega said.

Since he was 11 years old, the boy has been in and out of foster care homes, from which he typically would run away. His last placement home was in Los Angeles.

Anyone with information about the investigation can call SMPD detective Michael Bambrick at (310) 458-8932\. Callers who wish to remain anonymous also can also call the We-Tip national hot-line at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463).

The burglar is not believed to have been responsible for a rash of home break-ins in the Sunset Park neighborhood. From December through March, there were 28 burglaries or attempted break-ins in the Sunset Park neighborhood — which stretches from Lincoln Boulevard to Centinela, and Pico Boulevard to the southern city limits.

The SMPD and other westside law enforcement agencies have made arrests related to the Sunset Park burglaries, and the investigation is ongoing.

“The spike in burglaries of two or three occurring on the same day in the same area have decreased,” Fabrega said.

He stressed that if residents see unusual behavior or people in their neighborhoods, they should call police. He cited an incident on July 10 when a resident noticed a suspicious person in the 2200 block of 23rd street and confronted him instead of calling police. As a result, the subject ran away.

“We ask that people keep a visual on the subject and contact the police immediately and not take matters into their own hands,” Fabrega said. “They can provide more assistance to the police by providing immediate information so officers have real-time information.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 13, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/071305.pdf?ref=smdp.com)