Accused burglars pose as construction workers to steal from wealthy homes, CA cops say
Three men have been arrested after being accused of posing as construction workers in a ruse to burglarize more than 30 homes in wealthy neighborhoods, California police say.
The suspects — two Los Angeles men, ages 21 and 39, and an Ontario man, 21 — were “charged with multiple counts of residential burglary,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a July 9 news release.
During the burglaries from March to June, the men targeted homes in “wealthy enclaves” such as Studio City, West Los Angeles and Hollywood, police said.
One of the men donned a reflector vest, posing as a construction worker, when he approached and knocked at the residences to determine if the homeowners were present, police said.
If it appeared no one was home, the other men would join, and the group would enter through the back of the home, police said.
The men, coined the “reflector vest crew,” stole “high-end purses, jewelry, watches and cash” during the more than 30 home burglaries, according to police.
To prevent detectives from learning their identities, police said the men “used multiple rented vehicles and sophisticated techniques.”
The ruse, however, came to an end after “detectives caught the suspects during an in-progress burglary in Studio City on June 27, 2024.”
The case was submitted to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and prosecutors charged the three men, police said.
One of the men’s girlfriends was also arrested July 3 after a search warrant of her home uncovered that she had been renting the vehicles used in the burglaries, according to the department.
Police said detectives also found stolen items at the home, including “thousands in U.S. currency, two stolen firearms (and) jewelry appraisals.”
Detectives also recovered additional evidence linking the men to the burglaries.
The 33-year-old woman was booked into jail on a count of receiving stolen property, the department said.
Police said detectives are continuing to search for additional suspects or other potential crimes committed by the men.
Anyone with information is asked to contact North Hollywood Burglary Detectives at 818-754-8410.
This story was originally published July 10, 2024 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Accused burglars pose as construction workers to steal from wealthy homes, CA cops say."
