Men Posing as Police Rob Residents During Simi Home Invasion

Intruders impersonating police tied up three people and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash during a home-invasion robbery Sunday in Simi Valley, authorities said.

The incident in the 3400 block of Vicki Court left residents shaken and wondering why thieves would target their quiet street.

The robbery took place about 9 a.m. when at least four males entered the victims’ house through an unlocked garage door, Simi Valley police said. The intruders claimed to be police officers and were wearing police-style hats and carrying badges, authorities said.

Three occupants of the home were bound and the residence was ransacked.

The robbers fled after finding some cash. About 30 minutes later, the victims freed themselves and one went to a neighbor’s house and called police.

No one was injured in the robbery.

Residents said the incident was out of place for their Lemon Heights cul-de-sac.

“This is probably the most wholesome street in Simi Valley,” said the neighbor who allowed one of the victims to use the phone. “It’s a very safe neighborhood.”

The neighbor, who requested anonymity, said: “I still feel safe. I don’t even feel threatened.”

Another neighbor, 14-year-old Botond Perehazy, said he found the incident “a little scary. I never thought this would happen here.”

Neighbors who spoke to the victims said the robbers displayed fake badges and told the residents they were investigating for drugs.

“They told them if they called the cops, they would kill them,” said one neighbor.

Another neighbor, Barbara Williams, called the robbery “very much out of character for our neighborhood, for our whole community.”

About 15 families live along Vicki Court. Many have small children and teenagers. Most of the houses are single-story, and Williams lives in one of the few two-story houses.

The night before the robbery, Barbara Williams hosted a party attended by some of her neighbors on Vicki Court. “The party ended about midnight and I was able to sleep in,” she said. “I got up to a lot of policemen out in the street and the [victims’] home roped off. I did not hear anything.”

Like others on the street, Williams said, the family that was robbed is quiet and always cordial to neighbors.

“Even though we’re not in each other’s homes every night, we all feel like we can count on our neighbors on Vicki Court,” she said.

Williams did not believe that the robbers had ties to any of the residents.