String of Encino home burglaries under investigation
LOS ANGELES - Another home in an Encino neighborhood has been targeted by burglars.
It happened around 9 p.m. Sunday at an empty home near Moorpark Street and Hayvenhurst Avenue.
This area, as one neighbor put it, is under siege by burglars who keep targeting this one neighborhood.
The residents were not home when the burglars broke in, apparently getting in through Libbit Park, which is located right behind this block.
The burglars smashed the sliding glass door and were in and out within minutes.
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But as they ran away, they dropped a purse that they had stuffed with jewelry they had just stolen from the home. It was later recovered by police at a nearby park and returned to the owner.
A few hours later, also on the same street but south of the boulevard, another alarm went off, but responding officers later determined it was a false alarm. Police said they found no evidence of a break-in, so it's unknown if a burglar tripped the alarm or if the alarm malfunctioned.
Police told FOX 11 there have been at least a dozen residential break-ins all in the same neighborhood within a one-mile radius. One home was even burglarized twice in a four-day period.
Some homes in the neighborhood belong to celebrities, doctors, dentists, and others.
No one knows why they're being targeted.
Police have not released any suspect descriptions at this time.
Also in the area, it appears a whole other crew targeting small business owners is wreaking havoc in the neighborhood. At about 6 a.m. Monday, the Ping Pong Chinese restaurant on Ventura was burglarized. The burglars left behind a trail of broken glass for the owners to clean up and replace. It's unclear what was taken from the restaurant.
Police have met with neighbors in the area to discuss the series of break-ins.