SUNSET PARK A little distraction has been going a long way for a band of burglars targeting the neighborhood’s elderly.
Thieves have been hitting up homeowners here, distracting them by pretending to be from the gas or water company so that they can distract their victims long enough for a partner in crime to sneak through an unlocked window or door and make off with credit cards, jewelry and other valuables.
There have been three such robberies in the last three months in Sunset Park, prompting the police department to send out a warning to residents to be on the lookout for any suspicious persons in their neighborhoods.
“They usually target the elderly when they are outside watering their grass and they walk up and say just about anything to get the resident in their backyard,” said SMPD Lt. Alex Padilla.“It could be anything from ‘Hey, we kicked our ball in your back-yard, can we go get it?’ to someone passing themselves off as a contractor pretending to be doing some work next door.”
Police are encouraging all residents to ask for company photo identification from a worker before they enter a residence, and to be sure to check if they are driving a company vehicle. Usually, the company vehicle is parked in front of the residence.
Once the suspects have the attention of the homeowner, they communicate with their accomplice via cell phone or walkie-talkie, police said.
If a worker does not provide identification or seems suspicious, residents are urged to contact the police immediately.
The most recent burglary reported to police occurred on Nov. 17 in the 1600 block of Oak Street, in which an elderly woman was approached by a man who said he needed to measure the wall in her backyard, police said.
She closed her front door, but did not lock it, and accompanied the suspect to the backyard. She became suspicious and told the man she was returning to the house. He tried to dissuade her, but she ignored him, police said.
When she reached her back door, a second suspect came to the backyard talking on a cell phone. When the victim went inside, she discovered her wallet moved in her purse and a credit card and a gold chain missing.
When she contacted her credit card company later that night, she was told that her card had been used in North Hollywood.
The suspects in that incident were described as two male Hispanics in their 20s with short black hair, light complexion and clean shaven.
The first incident occurred on Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of 30th Street. The suspects in that incident were described as two white females with brown and blonde hair, 5 feet, 2 inches tall weighing between 110 and 150 pounds. A third suspect was described as a white male with brown hair between 20 and 30 years of age, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, around 190 pounds. To of the suspects were wearing white T-shirts and jeans.
The second incident occurred on Oct. 1 in the same block of 30th Street. This time there were four suspects, all Hispanic males in their 30s and mid 50s, weighing around 180 pounds with dark hair and eyes. One was wearing a red baseball cap, navy work pants and a light blue short-sleeved work shirt, police said.
News of the burglaries has made some Sunset Park residents uneasy and more cautious about how they interact with strangers at their front door.
Amanda Enclade, who lives on Oak Street near where one of the burglaries occurred, said she will not open her front door for anyone if she is home alone and has been more alert when walking through her neighborhood.
“I was the type of person who would open my door to just about anybody,” Enclade said. “Now, I’m not so open.”
Police told Enclade that the suspects “blended into the neighborhood.”
Lyle Royer is another resident who plans to be more alert. He’s also planning to go to a home improvement store and purchase some metal bars for his windows, something he has been meaning to do for some time, but is motivated now because of the burglaries.
“Someone tried to open one my windows the other night, but it could have been my landlord,” said Royer, who has seen an increased police presence of late.
Down the street from Royer lives long-time resident Tom Madara and his wife, who have a metal security screen on their front door and the windows nailed shut. Despite their security measures, they believe Sunset Park is a good place to live with neighbors who look out for one another.
“This is a pretty safe neighborhood. It’s gotten a lot safer over the years,”Madara said. “Still, I’m armed and dangerous, so if anyone wants to come into my backyard, they better have a pretty darn good reason.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 28, 2007. Read the original PDF.