Burglary suspect arrested
It only took about 15 minutes for a man to walk up to a La Cañada residence, determine no one was home, break a window and enter. The suspect, now identified as Young Ahn, 47, of Los Angeles can clearly be seen in a surveillance video walking up to the front door of the home in the 5200 block of Haskell Drive. He knocked on the door, rang the bell several times and peeked in the windows. Ahn then walked around to the backyard and did the same, knocking on the doors and looking in the window. He then walked away. He returned a few minutes later and repeated his acts, then, when he apparently determined that no one was home, he put on a pair of gloves, grabbed a nearby shovel and walked to the side of the house.
“We got a call from the sheriff’s station telling us our home had been burglarized,” said one of the residents of the La Cañada home.
Losses during the daytime burglary, which took place last Friday, included a safe, jewelry, cash and personal items.
The resident said he had only recently installed a surveillance camera. “I read about so many burglaries in La Cañada so I thought it would be a good idea to install the cameras,” he said.
It turned out to be a really good idea because clear pictures of Ahn, taken from the camera, were distributed throughout the media, including in the Korean community. The targeted household is of Korean descent.
“We just felt this man was targeting Korean homes,” the victim said.
“The picture went out to some in the Korean community on Monday night and by Tuesday morning I was getting calls,” said Det. Todd Sams of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Sams was told that a man matching Ahn’s description frequents the Commerce Casino. A C.V. deputy had been distributing fliers in Los Angeles. “Our deputy was talking to the [manager] at the casino when we got a call that the suspect was there,” Sams said.
Ahn, who was on parole for burglary, was taken into custody. Detectives served a search warrant at Ahn’s home and recovered several stolen items.
He reportedly has been seen in two vehicles, a white or gray Toyota or Lexus and a gold Mercedes. Anyone who has seen Ahn in their neighborhood is asked to call the CV Sheriff’s Station at (818) 248-3464.