Late Sunday night in Woodland Hills, surveillance cameras caught multiple people hustling out of an empty house on the 5800 block of Penfield Avenue and into a black SUV before taking off. Moments later, an LAPD helicopter was circling overhead as officers combed the neighborhood for the suspects. Police said the home was unoccupied at the time of the break-in, and it is still unclear whether anything was stolen.
What police and video show
According to KTLA, both surveillance footage and a police statement indicate that at least three suspects, all dressed in black, were seen leaving the residence and climbing into a black SUV before driving away. KTLA reports that officers searched the house while a police helicopter hovered over the area at around 11:45 p.m. as the search unfolded.
Neighbors and eyewitnesses
"They had left about 10 minutes before officers arrived," a neighbor told KTLA, explaining that people gathered in the street as police checked the property. Investigators say the residence was empty during the break-in, and detectives have not yet confirmed whether the suspects managed to take anything.
Part of a wider Valley surge
This latest case is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader wave of high-value home burglaries across the San Fernando Valley. A July 3 Woodland Hills heist was reported to have netted roughly $250,000, and NBC Los Angeles covered an attempted break-in where an alarm system stopped intruders who had tried to disable cameras.
How to help
Detectives are asking anyone who might have information or additional video to contact the LAPD Topanga Area Detective Desk at 818-756-4820 or the department's non-emergency line at 1-877-ASK-LAPD, per the LAPD. For any crime in progress, call 911.
