Thief targets Studio City apartment over and over
LOS ANGELES - An alleged crime spree in Studio City is prompting people to move out of an apartment complex.
The owner says a thief appears to be repeatedly targeting his building despite security upgrades and contacting the police.
"The MO is the same — the way he comes in is insane," said the owner who asked to remain anonymous, for security concerns. "He is so comfortable."
He says the thief has stolen and caused $65,000 worth of damage since last summer in at least five separate incidents at the 3000 block of Riverton Ave.
"The arrogance of the guy is what got me," he added.
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The landlord says they did not file police reports for the first three robberies last year because they didn’t think what was stolen was large enough to warrant the police’s attention. However, Thursday morning’s break-in has him and his tenants concerned.
Surveillance video shows a man break into the building at approximately 3:45 a.m., calmly navigating through the building before breaking into a BMW.
"He knows the building better than my tenants," said the owner. "This is a large building and there are so many doors."
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The owner filed a police report for an incident last month, when a similar-looking man broke into every single mailbox in the garage, causing tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.
At least 21 tenants have moved from the complex since the break-ins started, according the landlord.
"My tenants are in fear," said the owner, "You don’t know what this guy [is] capable of — he might stab somebody for a stupid thing."
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the crimes, and urges people to report crimes when they happen, so criminals are not inclined to return to an easy target.
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