Home burglary suspect arrested in Cheviot Hills after police issue community alert for West LA area
CHEVIOT HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- Los Angeles police arrested a residential burglary suspect in Cheviot Hills two days after issuing a community alert for the West L.A. area, officials said.
At least two victims were inside the home during the break-in, which was reported about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 1000 block of Northvale Road, just north of the 10 Freeway, an LAPD spokesperson said. No injuries were reported.
The suspect, whose identity was not released, previously had been arrested 11 times for burglary, police said.
In a community alert and burglary warning issued Monday, the LAPD noted that during the past several months "a wave of burglaries" have targeted single-family homes in more than a dozen West L.A. neighborhoods.
As many as four males "are part of an organized burglary crew impacting" West L.A., the alert said, adding that the suspects are known to target large homes that appear to be unoccupied at the time of the break-in.
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On several occasions, the Police Department said, the intruders have used a ladder, step stool, outdoor furniture or exterior drain pipes attached to the rear of the residence to gain access to the master bedroom's second-story balcony.
"The suspects then smash or cut out a glass partition of the door and crawl in and remove property," the LAPD statement said. "These suspects are particularly ransacking the master bedroom and master bedroom closet for jewelry, watches, high-end purses, safes and US currency."
The burglars often leave a getaway vehicle in front of the home with a member of the crew acting as a lookout in case of a police response, investigators said. They are known to carry handheld, short-range radios for communication with the getaway car and lookout, according to the LAPD.
They also carry a Wi-Fi jammer device in an attempt to disrupt the signal of wireless residential security cameras, such as Ring or Google Nest, authorities said.
