Burglars Smash Way Into Store, Steal Computers

Two men crashed a stolen car through the front window of a Northridge computer store Tuesday morning and escaped with $407,000 in computer equipment, Los Angeles police said.

According to Mann Seur, service manager for PC Upgrades, located in a mini-mall at 8415 Reseda Blvd., three landscapers working in front of a Trans World Bank across the street witnessed the incident.

Seur said the landscapers told him that two men reversed a 1983 Toyota Tercel into the storefront shortly before 6 a.m., setting off an alarm. The car also crushed a metal security grill pulled across the front window.

The burglars loaded boxes onto a truck parked beside the store, which has been in operation 12 years, and drove off before police arrived.

The burglars fled within minutes, even before the witnesses had a chance to call police, who were alerted by the alarm.

The burglars made off with notebook computers, laptop computers, monitors and numerous hard drives, Police Detective Terence Kibodeaux said.

Seur learned of the incident from a private security firm. When he arrived, the Toyota was still stuck in the store entrance.

“When I got here, police were here and everything was smashed together,” Seur said.

“Computers and monitors were everywhere,” he said. “It was unbelievable.”

Witnesses gave police the license number of the getaway vehicle, which had been reported stolen, Seur said.

Police have no suspects, Kibodeaux said.