Residents of Orange County are on high alert as a serial burglar continues his spree, breaking into homes across the area and evading capture. The menace, caught on security footage prowling properties in Anaheim and Westminster, has rattled the community with his brazen invasions.
An incident on Dec. 26 in Westminster triggered concern when an intruder, believed to the same suspect, bolted from a targeted home during a family gathering. "Then she decided to open the door and like three feet away for her, she made eye contact with, like eye to eye, with this home intruder and she just froze up," Christopher Tran recounted in an NBC4 interview, speaking on his aunt's terrifying encounter.
The suspect, who ransacked a home on the 2800 block of East Hampstead Street in Anaheim on Dec. 22, escaped with a small fortune. "He was standing about three feet away from her," Tran told KTLA, detailing the harrowing experience his aunt endured. The brazen thief's phot has circulated, showcasing a man in his 30s to 40s with a slight build, last seen wearing a black Adidas sweater, light-colored sweatpants, a black hat with red logo, and white shoes.
The string of break-ins includes a Dec. 9 invasion where the culprit ransacked another Westminster residence. "We feel violated, paranoid," explained victim Sandy Le whose sense of security is shattered. "Being home alone sometimes, before I would feel comfortable, but now every time I hear a noise, I’m like, 'Who is it?'" Le told KTLA, after the intruder pilfered cash, jewels, and personal items.
Efforts to apprehend the prowler have intensified. Retired LAPD detective Moses Castillo has initiated a neighborhood watch group. "This is why we want to sound the alarm," said Castillo. "We want everybody to be alert because based on his MO, he's not afraid to enter people’s homes when people are actually home and that’s very dangerous. We’ve got to stop this individual before he strikes again," he stated, signaling the urgency of the situation. Should anyone recognize the suspect or have additional information, Anaheim and Westminster police departments have provided contact details for their respective detectives and dispatch centers.
