"We are very concerned considering this suspect went to this home in the middle of the day, knocked on the door. When nobody was home, he went around back and broke through the sliding glass door and went right in," said LAPD Lt. Marc Reina.
That incident happened on Wednesday around 2 p.m. on the 2700 block of La Cuesta Drive in the Hollywood Hills. The homeowner's surveillance cameras captured the suspect as he knocked on the front door to see if anyone was home. In a matter of minutes, he's in and out of the house taking numerous electronic devices including a laptop computer and five cellphones.
Investigators believe the suspect may be responsible for other similar burglaries in the area and are warning residents to be on alert.
"We've had about a dozen residential burglaries in the Hollywood Hills in the last eight weeks or so, so we're asking residents to be vigilant, be on the lookout, establish neighborhood watches," said Reina.
Police say it's best not to leave computers and other electronics sitting out when they leave, and urge residents to get home alarms or security camera.
The video from the latest break-in may be the key to identifying the suspect. He's described as a Hispanic man around 30 years old, 5 feet 6 to 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 200-210 pounds.
Investigators want to track him down as quickly as possible, afraid his brazen behavior could escalate.
"There wasn't a lot of time between when he knocked on the door and then he made entry into the home. Someone could be in the home, perhaps they're sleeping or in a different part of the residence and didn't hear him knocking and there could be a confrontation between the suspect and someone in the house," said Reina.
If you have information related to the burglaries or the suspect, call (877) LAPD-24-7.
