Police are alerting residents of a wealthy Southern California community of an increase in home burglaries occurring during dinnertime hours.
The Palos Verdes Estates Police Department stated Saturday that since the beginning of the year, four homes have been hit during evening or “dinner” hours.
Police described the incidents as “quick, sneaky and under the cover of darkness.”
An additional four burglaries, believed to be unrelated to the other four, have been reported, according to officials. Two were at the same residence on Via Opata, one was a garage burglary and the fourth was a residential burglary during daytime hours on Avenida Mirola.
A list of incidents confirmed by police can be viewed below:
- 3900 block of Via Pavion (occurred between Dec. 30 – Jan. 2): Broken garage door
- 4000 block of Via Opata (Jan. 3 & Jan. 4): Suspects arrested
- 3900 block of Palos Verdes Drive North (Jan. 3 between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.): Rear door window smash
- 4100 block of Via Solano (Jan. 26 between 5:30 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.): Side window smash
- 600 block of Avenida Mirola (Jan. 28 between 11:30 a.m. and 2:42 p.m.): Unlocked rear door
- 1500 block Paseo La Cresta (Feb. 8 between 6:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.): Rear door window smash
- 3900 block of Via Palomino (Feb. 13 between 5:04 p.m. and 7:12 p.m.): Back door window smash
“Detectives are actively pursuing all leads and collaborating with several other law enforcement agencies around us,” the Palos Verdes Police Department said. “Also, we have additional officers working specifically for burglary suppression to keep homes safe.”
In addition to a map of the community outlining where the burglaries occurred, local authorities offered residents steps to protect their own homes:
- Make it look like someone’s home: Leave lights on, and don’t forget to set house alarm
- Stay aware: Keep an eye out when leaving and check surroundings
- Report suspicious activity: Call police immediately if suspicious people or cars are seen lurking
