String of San Fernando Valley home break-ins possibly connected: police

String of SFV home break-ins possibly connected

Three residential burglaries occurred in the Encino/Tarzana area over a span of approximately three hours.

LOS ANGELES - A series of residential burglaries in the Encino and Tarzana areas that appear to be connected was under investigation Tuesday morning. 

What we know:

The crimes happened over a period of approximately three hours, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Security cameras at one of the homes located on Ostrom Drive reportedly captured the burglars moving through the house, and it is believed they may have arrived in two separate cars.

In a separate incident on Alonzo Avenue, a homeowner returned to find her house had been hit. Officers arriving on the scene heard yelling and told the homeowner to remain in her car until the property was cleared. No one was found inside the house, and no one was hurt in any of the reported incidents.

String of SFV break-ins under investigation

Several homes in the Encino-Tarzana area were hit by burglars all within a few hours.

What they're saying:

Neighbors in the area are expressing concern over the safety of the community. One resident shared his frustration regarding the need for better protection.

"The current leadership needs to make things a little safer for us and if they're unable to, then maybe a change in leadership," said Encino resident Roy Mansana. "But at the end of the day, you know, we need to feel safe. We pay tax money, we all pay tax money. You guys pay tax money, I pay tax money, and that tax money I need to know where my tax money is going. And feeling protected is one of those places."

What's next:

LAPD officers on the scene say they believe all three break-ins may be connected, noting that two vehicles were spotted at more than one location.

Authorities are also currently looking into a reported break-in at a business on DeSoto Avenue in nearby Woodland Hills to determine if it is related to the residential incidents.

According to FOX 11's Christina Gonzalez, things have gotten so scary that some of the residents working with the Encino Property Owners Association are funding and setting up three license plate reading cameras at busy intersections.

"It's the next logical step to make our neighborhoods safe," says association president Robert Glushon.

Council-funded cameras went up in the northwest valley last October, and LAPD does have readers in some of their vehicles. 

The cameras are run by a security company, and LAPD can request images if it helps them investigate break-ins or other crimes in the area.

They've only been up for about a month, so it's hard to tell if they have had any deterrent effect, but people walking in those neighborhoods do say they feel safer, Gonzalez reports.