SMPD Reports Increase in ‘Alarming’ Burglaries

While the 10 burglaries reported to in October is pretty consistent with the number of burglaries reported each month, SMPD has seen an increase in “more alarming” burglaries, San Marino Sergeant Jay Wilburn told Patch Thursday.

In two recent burglaries, residents reported a loss of $100,000 each, due mostly to stolen jewelry. Some homes have also been ransacked, which differs from some of the usual smash-and-grab burglaries that happen to vehicles or residences.

Burglars tend to target the bedroom, said Wilburn, where items like jewelry and cash can be found on a nightstand or in the bathroom.

Burglary and theft continue to be the most common crimes in the city, the SMPD said in a CLEAR (Communicating Law Enforcement Alerts to Residents) message emailed to residents Thursday due to the high-profile burglaries, and Wilburn told Patch about eight to 10 burglaries are reported each month.

“There is no consistent pattern to these [recent] burglaries,” said the SMPD CLEAR message. “Some occurred at homes that were vacant for fumigation, some were at homes that were left unsecured and some were cases where suspect(s) unseen broke into and ransacked the home.”

The locations of the burglaries are also “pretty random and scattered” said Wilburn, though some occurred in the hill area above Lacy Park, which is not typical.

While police are looking into some of the high-loss burglaries, they don’t have much workable evidence, said Wilburn.

However, San Marino police are making a concerted effort to patrol the residential areas where the crimes have occurred.

To help prevent and combat crime, residents are urged to:

• Report suspicious activity or individuals to the police
• Secure valuables in a safe or lockbox
• Activate your alarm system
• Close and lock windows

Have you or someone you know experienced a burglary lately? How do you keep your home safe?