On Dec. 15, at approximately 2:20 a.m., Long Beach Police Department officers were dispatched to the 7800 block of Berner Street in response to suspicious activity around parked vehicles. Thanks to a call from an alert resident and good police work, an arrest was made.
The resident discovered two individuals rummaging through his vehicle in the El Dorado Park Estates neighborhood and called 9-1-1. The individuals fled before police officers arrived.
Responding officers searched the area and located two subjects matching the description. One suspect fled and remains outstanding. When officers approached the second suspect, a 15-year-old, male Lakewood resident, he dropped a backpack and attempted to hide behind a tree.
Further investigation revealed four unlocked vehicles had been entered and valuables were removed. It appears the thieves would, oftentimes, check every vehicle in a neighborhood to see if entry could easily be made. In this case, the suspect was found in possession of a backpack full of stolen property. Detectives are processing all items and will attempt to locate owners.
The investigation is ongoing and police are asking residents in the surrounding neighborhoods to come forward if they have been victims of an unreported auto burglary.
Long Beach police encourage residents to be vigilant in preventing crime. Commonly stolen items include purses, wallets, and electronics such as cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, and GPS devices; oftentimes, left in plain view.
The following are safety tips from the Long Beach Police Department on preventing auto burglaries:
• Park in well-lit areas when able
• If you have a garage, use it — keep it closed and locked
•â€‚Activate your alarm system or consider installing one
• Secure your vehicle before leaving it— lock doors and close windows
• Keep all packages, boxes, bags, and valuables locked in the trunk, or take them with you
• If you must leave valuables in the trunk, place them there before you arrive at your destination
• If the trunk can be opened without a key from inside of your car, lock or disable this feature
• Do not leave any connector cables (GPS, phone, MP3) or docking stations in plain sight as it may appear that you have electronics inside
• Once home, unload your valuables immediately and do not store them in your car
• Always report suspicious persons or activity immediately by calling Long Beach Police Dispatch at 9-1-1 or (562) 435-6711
LBPD requests that anyone with information regarding the burglaries contact Detective David Rivas of the Juvenile Investigations Section at (562) 570-1433 or (562) 570-1425. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or text TIPLA plus your tip to 274637 (CRIMES) or visit http://lacrimestoppers.org.
Source: LBPD
