Police seek information on Sunset Park break-ins
SUNSET PARK — A home burglary here this week brought the number of residences broken into to 18 since Dec. 4. Police have classified another five incidents as attempted break-ins.
The most recent burglary was different than the others because the victim was at home during the incident. The others all have occurred when residents weren’t home, said Santa Monica Police Lt. Frank Fabrega.
Santa Monica Police on Tuesday responded to a call at 12:39 p.m. from a woman who lives in the 1100 block of Pine Street, reporting that her home had been burglarized. The woman told police that an hour prior to realizing she had been burglarized, a man knocked on her front door. When she opened the door, the man asked if her lights were working. The victim responded in the affirmative, then closed the door and watched the man walk eastbound on Pine Street.
The victim went back to watching television. About 30 minutes later, she walked into her bedroom and realized that she had been burglarized, police said.
Police believe the burglar cut the victim’s window screen and entered her home. Once the burglar was inside, he entered the bedroom and removed jewelry and coins, police said.
“She never saw anyone in the home,” Fabrega said Wednesday. “We don’t know if there was a second suspect or not.”
The person who knocked on the front door is described as possibly Armenian, 35 years old, having medium weight, fair skin and dark brown hair, which was “spikey” on top and cut short on the sides. He had several keys on a round clip on his right side and wore a dark T-shirt.
Of the 23 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 — nine occurred in December, 10 in January and three in February, Fabrega said. In December, the most active days were Tuesdays and Thursdays. In January, the most active days were Monday and Wednesdays, Fabrega said.
Police have not yet been able to link the burglaries to one suspect because there have been no witnesses to the crimes — all of them have occurred during the day when people typically aren’t home.
“Sometimes they have gone through doors and windows that were unlocked and others were forced through doors and windows,” Fabrega said.
The burglars have taken mostly items small enough to fit into a bag, backpack or pocket. Some of the items stolen have been a laptop computer, an I-Pod and jewelry.
Police urge residents to immediately report any suspicious persons stopping or loitering in the area. They believe the suspects might be on foot.
High-ranking police officials met with about 60 concerned Sunset Park residents last week to discuss the SMPD’s efforts to quell the burglaries, and what residents can do to protect their properties.
SMPD detectives said they were working with state parole and county probation officers to help identify leads. Beyond beefed up patrols — by car as well as on foot and bicycle — police are working with the neighborhood group Friends of Sunset Park to organize community watch efforts and get the word out that residents should lock doors and gates at all times, not store hidden keys outdoors, and try to keep outside lights on at night. Undercover officers also are patrolling the neighborhood.
Police also are performing free security inspections of people’s homes, which can be requested at the SMPD’s community relations division (310) 458-8474, Fabrega said. If residents would like to organize a neighborhood watch with police, they are asked to call the community relations division. For update information, residents can log onto the SMPD’s Web site, santamonicapd.org.
Anyone with information regarding Tuesday’s burglary is encouraged to call Detective Mike Federico at (310) 458- 8432, or the SMPD at (310) 458-8491. Callers who wish to remain anonymous may call the We-Tip national hotline at 1- 800-78-CRIME (27463).
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 10, 2005. Read the original PDF.