Verdugo Road hair salon burglarized

MONTROSE — A hair salon on Monday was the latest victim in a recent trend of burglaries in north Glendale, officials said.

Witnesses reported the break-in at Hair Studio, 3720 N. Verdugo Road, about 8:54 a.m. Monday to Glendale police, stating the store’s front window had been shattered, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Owner Patti Harmon said she found glass scattered on the sidewalk and throughout the store. The family-owned business had never been burglarized before.

The salon’s cash drawer, which contained $20, a new palette of hair colors and beauty products were stolen, Harmon said. She estimated the loss, in terms of both items stolen and damage, at $1,300.

“They had some time to come in here and look around,” she said.

She said she never imagined her small business, located just off the main Montrose Shopping Park, would be the victim of any crime.

Harmon has driven by her salon several times every night since Monday, fearing the worst.

“I am scared to death,” she said.

Police have noticed a jump in the number of burglaries in north Glendale, but mostly to vehicles, North Command Lt. Ian Grimes said.

The vehicle burglaries have been attributed to unlocked cars, he said. Residential burglaries in the area were also the result of some homeowners forgetting to lock their homes’ rear sliding door, Grimes added.

“It just makes it very, very easy,” he said.

He said when police catch the thieves, they generally fit a certain profile: young men with severe drug addictions. Grimes said such men scour neighborhoods looking for small items, such as navigation systems, to steal and sell for drug money.

To put a damper on the area’s burglaries, Grimes advised residents to be vigilant of suspicious activity, lock up all valuables, join a neighborhood watch group and notify police of any crime.

“We do our best work when we get the most information,” he said.

To join or start up a neighborhood watch group in north Glendale, call Officer Matt Zakarian at (818) 548-8766.

Anyone with details about Monday’s burglary may call the Glendale Police Department at (818) 548-4840, or the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.