Torrance thieves steal jewelry, ring handed down by victim's dead father

Torrance thieves steal treasured family ring

A group of thieves took thousands of dollars of jewelry from a Torrance home, including the victim's father's ring.

TORRANCE, Calif. - A man in Torrance says burglars broke into his home and stole expensive jewelry, including a ring he recently received from his father when he died.

"It breaks my heart because a piece of my father is now gone from me forever," said Paul.

What we know:

Paul wants to stay anonymous, because the thieves are still out there. He shared surveillance videos of the burglars canvassing outside his home this week near Sepulveda and Palos Verdes boulevards.

In the surveillance video, at least two women can be seen walking around the home, knocking on back windows and doors. Eventually, they get inside, in and out within about 10 minutes with a getaway car picking them up.

SUGGESTED: Beverly Grove man attacked, pepper sprayed during home break-in

"They knew exactly what they were doing," said Paul. "They had a driver. They had somebody that was on lookout."

The thieves took several pieces of jewelry worth a few thousand dollars, but the most sentimental for Paul was a ring he received when his father died. Paul says he had worn his father’s ring every day, but for whatever reason, he left it at home the day of the burglary.

"My dad was everything to me," said Paul. "He was my best friend. Just to look down on my finger now and see it not there, it’s like seeing a piece of my father not with me.  I don’t think I’ll ever get that back."

Dig deeper:

Near Fern Elementary School, a couple of miles from Paul’s home, residents also described a recent burglary that sounds eerily similar.

"I heard screaming one night," said Michael Howard. "It was my neighbor, and she had seen someone burglarizing her house and was trying to scare them off by screaming."

SUGGESTED: ‘Coordinated burglary crew’ linked to 25 crimes in North Hollywood arrested

Comparable to what Paul describes, the thieves broke into Howard’s neighbor’s home through a back window or door and were gone in minutes. Both incidents happened during the day.

"It seems like they have a good idea of where they want to enter, which house, at what time," said Howard.

"It blows my mind. It was in the middle of the day," said Paul. "They don’t care about getting caught. They’re looking right at the cameras."

What we don't know:

FOX 11 contacted the Torrance Police Department about these burglaries, and a possible connection or trend, but so far hasn’t heard back. Anyone with information about these cases is urged to contact law enforcement.

"You just have to be more aware, more observant," said Howard. "Be more diligent about keeping your property safe and secure."