Around 2 p.m. Monday, CHP officials say someone or several people broke into a CHP officer's personal car while it was parked in the parking lot of a strip mall in Stevenson Ranch. A CHP spokesperson says multiple weapons were stolen.
"He was away from his vehicle for simply 20 minutes and an individual or individuals that we still have yet to identify did break and enter into that vehicle and stole numerous tactical weapons, some equipment and personal items," said Sgt. Denise Joslin with the CHP.
CHP officials say the officer had just finished up training at a firing arrange when he parked his car at the strip mall for reasons they will not disclose. They say the officer's car was locked when he left it. However, they will not say how the car was broken into.
"With regard to the breaking and entering, again, those are considered some intricate details of the case that I am not able to provide," said Joslin.
CHP officials say with crime very low in the Stevenson Ranch area, it is shocking for someone to break into a vehicle in the busy strip mall in broad daylight. Authorities said they are looking into whether or not someone was tipped off about the weapons being inside the vehicle.
"It's certainly one of the things that we are looking at is what may have prompted this. Our officer had just in fact concluded range training. Whether or not this is something that someone had planned is all part of our investigation," said Joslin.
Without being specific, officials say with help from a tip, they recovered some of the items that were taken.
"Those items were located in the South Los Angeles area roughly around 120th Street and Central Avenue," said Joslin.
Anyone with information was asked to call the CHP at (323) 644-9550.
