SYLMAR : Burglar Bypasses Realtors’ Lockboxes

A burglar in Sylmar has given a new meaning to the words “open house.”

For the first time in the San Fernando Valley, a burglar has figured out how to bypass a security system designed to protect homes that are being shown by real-estate agents, police said.

Three Sylmar homes have been burglarized since Oct. 7, when a thief broke into the electronic lockbox on the front door of a house, taking the key and walking away with valuables he found inside.

“This guy is not a transient who is moving in and eating sandwiches,” said Detective David Bashara of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division. “There is a little bit of sophistication in this.”

Police say the suspect isn’t believed to be a real-estate agent, but rather could be using a sophisticated computer hacking method to develop key cards that break into the lockboxes.

So far, the burglaries have been limited to under $5,000 in merchandise, mostly televisions and VCRs that can be pawned quickly, said Bashara. The houses that were burglarized are in the 13000 block of Hubbard, the 13700 block of Woodcock and the 14000 block of Tyler avenues.

The suspect has struck both day and night, but only when no one is home. Bashara would release no details about the suspect, except to say he is male.

The houses have been shown by three real-estate agencies, Bashara said. He refused to identify the agencies.

Valley real estate agents have been using the lockboxes for the past three years.

“So far, it’s been a very localized problem in the Northeast Valley and I would hope it would not spread,” said Mary Lou Williams, assistant executive vice president of the San Fernando Valley Assn. of Realtors. “With today’s technology, this is the most advanced and secure system that can be used. At this point in time, I’m not sure there is anything else we can use.”

Meanwhile, Bashara had some advice for home sellers with lockboxes on their front doors.

“I think a good idea is to let their neighbors know when they are leaving, and if someone does come, when they do leave, they are not leaving with a wheelbarrow,” Bashara said.