2 home burglaries reported within 3 miles of each other just hours apart: Newport Beach PD

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Authorities in Newport Beach are investigating two home burglaries less than three miles from each other that happened Friday night just hours apart.

The most recent incident happened just before 10 p.m. at an unoccupied home in the Pelican Point Community, according to police. 

Authorities said the suspect was able to get into the house by breaking through a second-story window that led into the master bedroom. 

During the break-in, however, the suspect activated the security alarm, thus prompting a police response.

It's unknown at this time what was taken from the home. 

Just a few hours earlier, a burglar reportedly broke into another unoccupied home in the Irvine Terrace Community located in the 1500 block of Santanella Terrace, located about three miles from the incident in Pelican Point. 

In this burglary, authorities said the suspect went into the backyard and broke a back door to get inside, where the suspect took items including jewelry, handbags, watches, money, a safe, and firearms, police said. 

A neighbor noticed the front door was left open and called police. No suspect description was provided.

It's unknown if the two home burglaries are related. 

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to call the Newport Beach Police Department  at 949-644-3717. 

Police have issued the following home security tips: 

• Always lock your windows and doors when you go out, even if for only a few minutes. Second story windows & doors should be secured as if they were on the first story.
•  Use timers on indoor lamps to give the appearance that you are home. If you’re going out for the evening, leave a television or a radio on in the home.
•  If your home is equipped with an alarm, always activate it even if you’re only going out for a short walk.
• Consider adding a motion sensor in your master bedroom/bathroom, which will activate the alarm if someone comes in through a glass window or door without opening it.
• Always keep your front and rear porch lights on from dusk to dawn and use motion detector lighting along the sides of your home or areas with little foot traffic.
•  Make sure your utility box is secured with a padlock.
•  Adjust window coverings for optimal privacy while maintaining good visibility outside.
•  Assess whether or not a window can be easily accessed from a tree, balcony, roof, wall, or with patio furniture and adjust your security plan accordingly. Ladders should be stored inside or locked to a stationary object.
• If your garage door has a remote shutoff button on the wall-mounted control, located in the garage, consider locking the door nightly. This will prevent your garage door from being opened remotely.
• If you have a safe, make sure that it is properly bolted to concrete so that it cannot be easily removed.
•  Always close and lock your safe and never leave a key or combination out or in an easy to find location (i.e. office, nightstand, etc).
•  If you return home and find your pedestrian door that leads into your home locked, and you are certain that you left it unlocked, DO NOT GO INSIDE! Call 9-1-1 ~ Burglars often lock this door to slow down a victim, allowing the burglar extra time to get out of the home before the resident enters.
• When you leave on vacation, remember to call the Police Department for a "Vacation Check" at 949-644-3681. Also, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your newspaper and mail while you are away.
• When you get a knock at your door:-  Never open the door unless you know the person.-  Acknowledge you’re home without opening the door.-  If you have a doorbell camera with two-way audio, this is a great time to use this feature (whether you are home or not).-  If you are not home, use your doorbell camera to speak to the subject and let them know you are not able to come to the door- do not tell them no one is home.-  If the individual acts suspiciously, call the police department and provide them with a description of the subject and his/her actions.Report all suspicious activity by calling the Newport Beach Police Department at 949-644-3717.