Suspects in Cheviot Hills burglary used key in lock box left for construction crews, police say

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A home burglary in Cheviot Hills has residents on high alert, especially when it comes to how the suspects were able to get in.

The break-in was reported just after midnight Wednesday in the 1000 block of Northvale Road, just east of Overland Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

According to investigators, the intruders were able to enter the residence, which was being remodeled, using a key that was inside of a lock box that was there for a construction crew.

"So a lockbox, obviously today, I would not classify it as a safe way to secure a house," said security expert Aria Kozak, who specializes in real time crime prevention.

He said even houses that have security systems and cameras could be compromised.

"Those systems are very susceptible to jamming, and it's a serious breach of security," said Aria Kozak. "At the minimum, when you have the cameras hardwired, there's a much more greater benefit."

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón said with such a large county and many different law enforcement agencies, it hopes to gather all the data for investigators.

"We would sort it out, we will give it to the agency investigating the case but at the same time, we can start looking and connecting dots to see if that behavior is occurring in another part of the county," he said.

Meanwhile, Jose Agarde Lopez, 43, has since been arrested. He had previously been arrested 11 times for burglary, according to authorities.

LAPD Lt. Armando Arenas said at least two suspects were involved in the crime, one of whom remained at large.