In a recent string of home burglaries across the San Fernando Valley, residents are witnessing increased criminal activity that has culminated in a dramatic incident this weekend. According to NBC Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department is currently seeking two suspects involved in a Woodland Hills home burglary, where items worth thousands were stolen.
The heist, which occurred on Sunday around 7 p.m., involved thieves forcibly entering a home through a sliding glass door. In a shocking twist, captured by a good Samaritan's Tesla camera, the suspects were seen loading a homeowner's safe into a black, plateless Mercedes before fleeing the scene, said police. The vehicle later collided with another, causing the suspects to abandon their attempt to escape and flee on foot, FOX LA reported. Despite the alarms of the house never going off, a diligent neighbor warned the homeowner of the suspicious activity.
Following these events, LAPD has confirmed an "all hands on deck" approach to combat the surge in burglaries, which includes augmented patrols and surveillance measures. This strategy places an emphasis on increased police presence and investigatory fervor. It was flying down the road when a Tesla pursued and inadvertently caused a collision with the suspects who had just performed a burglary, “A Mercedes four-door comes flying down the road at a very high excessive speed. We put our hands up in the air like ‘what are you doing?’ Looks like he was going to make a U-turn to come back to us. That's what we thought. But there was a Tesla that had apparently seen what had happened and was chasing him. He made a U-turn and apparently tried to maybe go after the Tesla, but he actually hit a white Prius," a witness told FOX LA.
The attempted getaway failed after the suspects crashed into a white Prius, whereupon they abandoned the disabled Mercedes and ran off. While investigators are hoping to recover any stolen items from the car and trunk, “He literally took off full speed, skidding with the tire track,” a neighbor, recounting to CBS Los Angeles, said the suspects sped from the area despite the tire being damaged in the collision. The homeowner has expressed a particular interest in recovering their safe, believed to contain approximately $50,000 worth of items and cash. No arrests have been made yet, as the investigation continues.
Aside from the residential burglary, a similar pattern of crimes has hit small businesses, with FOX LA noting a break-in at Oakdale Pharmacy in Encino. The details of what was taken from the pharmacy remain under wraps until a complete inventory has been conducted. The LAPD is urging anyone with information about these incidents to come forward as they work diligently to quell the recent wave of criminal activity.
