Crime Report: Burglar with a sweet tooth breaks into church, steals candy
Jan. 25
Attempted burglary, residence: 300 block of Berkshire Avenue. A man called authorities at around 2 p.m. after his Ring video doorbell camera captured footage of two suspicious males attempting to enter his back patio door; the Ring system alerted his cellphone. The homeowner was able to talk to the suspects, via his phone. Although they did not immediately leave, something appeared to have startled them and they fled on foot down the driveway to Berkshire and out of view. The suspects were both described as black males of medium build, approximately 5 feet 10. One wore a khaki-colored hooded jacket, jeans and dark gloves, while the other had long hair, possibly in dreadlocks, and facial hear and wore a multicolored hooded jacket, black shoes and dark gloves. While at the property, the men appeared to take turns talking on a cellphone to someone deputies believe may have been a getaway driver. Deputies noted two other burglaries, in La Crescenta and Glendale, occurred that same day and had similar suspect descriptions. In those incidents, a white Ford Explorer with paper plates was seen fleeing the scenes.
Burglary, residence: 700 block of Forest Green Drive. A woman reported sometime between 6:45 and 8:45 p.m. that day, someone broke the glass on a rear door and ransacked her entire house, stealing a box of jewelry from a home office bookshelf. Deputies were unsure where the point of exit was, as the victim had resecured the doors and windows of the residence.
Jan. 26
Burglary: 4800 block of Crown Avenue. A woman told deputies she left her home at around 8:40 a.m. that day. When she returned at around 8:15 p.m. she noticed several rooms of the house had been ransacked. She discovered a clutch purse containing 700 Euros had been taken from her bedroom closet. The victim said she’d left open a downstairs bathroom window that was stuck and could not be fully closed. Deputies observed the window had been forced open, and an unlocked metal side gate may have provided access to the property.
Jan. 27
Petty theft, bicycle: 4300 block of Chevy Chase Drive. A man arrived home from work at around 10 p.m., possibly leaving his garage door open. When we went out to greet the gardener the next morning at around 8 a.m., he noticed the door was open and his unsecured Diamondback 21-speed green mountain bike was missing from inside.
Jan. 28
Burglary, church: 1800 block of Foothill Boulevard. A church member told deputies that a volunteer cleaning crew left the secured building at around noon the day before. When he arrived at the property at around 7:15 a.m. that day, he noticed a large piece of wood near an open metal door that was a piece of broken door-jamb. Inside the church, an office had been ransacked and a glass jar full of candy bars usually kept in a nearby conference room had been moved into the office. Several other areas in the church were also ransacked and a monitor used to display Bible verses had been tampered with but not damaged. Among the items missing were a wall clock and several plastic containers containing pieces of candy. Deputies observed the west facing metal door had been kicked in to provide entry.
Compiled by Sara Cardine
Twitter: @SaraCardine
