Valencia, Zone 5

An attempted grand theft occurred near the 25500 block of Avenue Stanford. The security guard at the location was making his rounds when he saw a large hole in the perimeter fence.  He shined his flashlight in the area, and observed two male suspects running from the area.  He also saw large metal objects on the ground near the fence.  The suspects fled the area in an unknown direction.

A burglary occurred near the 27200 block of Riverview Lane.   The victim left her garage door open approximately 1 foot overnight and left her purse on the table inside her garage.  The following morning when she walked outside she noticed her garage door completely open and her purse was gone.  No forced entry was observed at the location by the investigating deputy.

A commercial burglary occurred near the 24200 block of Valencia Boulevard.   Deputies responded to an audible alarm call at the indicated location.  When they arrived they noticed the rear glass door to the location was shattered.  The deputies entered the location and were unable to locate any suspects.

This past week we had four vehicle burglaries occur near the 24700 block of McBean Parkway.  In each case the victims left their vehicles secure in the area and attended a party.  When they returned to their cars they noticed the front window had been smashed and personal items from inside their vehicles were missing.

During this past week we had four incidents of shoplifting occur at our local shopping centers.  In all four incidents a suspect was arrested and booked at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

A petty theft occurred near the 28000 block of Seco Canyon Road.   A male Hispanic adult walked into the location and ran out of the store with a 36 pack of Coors light.

A petty theft occurred near the 25200 block of Via Tanara.   Suspect unknown entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole several personal items.  No forced entry into the vehicle was identified.

A bicycle theft occurred near the 23600 block of Magic Mountain Parkway.  The victim had his “Trek” 21 speed bicycle stolen from his front porch.  The victim secured his bicycle with a cable lock and noticed it was cut and his bicycle was missing from his porch.

This past week we had a spike in vehicle burglaries.  I continue to try and remind all residents of the proper procedures to take in order to avoid becoming a victim of a vehicle burglary.  Please adhere to all my safety tips in helping you secure your car.

You can prevent vehicle theft.

Most cars are taken by amateurs who can be stopped fairly easily. You can increase your protection against this type of crime by taking the following sensible precautions:

Lock up

• An unlocked car is an open invitation to a car thief. Lock up when you leave your car, and take the keys with you.

• Lock the trunk or tailgate.

• Close all windows — professional thieves have tools that unlock cars through the smallest openings.

• Be sure vent or wind-wing windows are shut tight.

• When you park the car, remove cellular phones, cassette players and other valuable possessions. Do not leave gift-wrapped packages or cameras lying on the seat. Lock all valuables in your trunk or take them with you.

• Lock your car even if you are making a quick stop at the gas station, convenience store or mini-mall.

Park carefully

• Don’t leave an auto in unattended public parking lots for an extended period. A car is five times more likely to be stolen from an unattended lot than from the street or attended lot.

• If possible, park your car in a lot where you don’t have to leave your keys.

• Never attach a tag with your name and address to your key ring. If the keys are lost or stolen, the tag will lead the thief directly to your car and your home. If you have to leave your keys with a parking attendant, leave only the ignition key.

• At night, park in well-lit areas with lots of people around.

• Turn wheels sharply toward the curb when parking, this makes it extra difficult for thieves to tow your car.

Operation I.D.

• With an electric engraver, etch your driver’s license number (preceded by the letters “CA”) on cassette players and other valuable items.

• Record your vehicle identification number (located on a small metal plate on the dashboard of newer cars) and store it in a safe place.

Keep the vehicle registration in your wallet or purse, not in your car.

Use anti-theft devices

• When buying a car, check the manufacturer’s list of anti-theft options, such as interior hood and trunk releases, locking steering columns and others.

• Consider the purchase and installation of security devices, such as:

– Interior hood lock release.

– Second ignition switch or “kill switch” to prevent electrical current from reaching the coil distributor.

– Fuel switch to prevent fuel from reaching the carburetor.

– Locking gas cap.

Vehicle Security

Crime and Violence Prevention Center • California Attorney General’s Office

– Locking devices for batteries, wheels, decks, etc.

– Alarm device to activate a siren, horn or lights – or all three – to frighten the thief away.

– Device that attaches to the steering wheel or brake pedal.

Carjacking

This violent, random form of auto theft is on the rise. A driver of any vehicle can be a target of someone with a weapon. It can happen anywhere, day or night. Here are some precautions:

• Keep your doors locked.

• Park in well-lit, busy areas.

• Be alert of your surroundings, of people approaching your vehicle.

• Stick with the traffic, avoid lightly traveled streets, especially after dark.

• Keep car and house keys on separate key chains.

• Keep the garage door opener in your purse or briefcase.

• When stopped in traffic, always leave enough room to make an emergency getaway.

• If someone is threatening you with a weapon, give up the vehicle — it’s not worth your life.

Prevent theft of other motor vehicles

Thefts of snowmobiles, motorcycles, boats and trail-bikes are also increasing. Many of the same precautions that apply to cars also apply to recreational vehicles.

Lock It

• Make sure all easy-to-carry items like motors, water skis and camping gear are locked up before leaving your vehicle.

Chain It

• Vehicles carried on trailers should be secured with a strong chain and padlock.

• When the trailer is not attached to your car, secure it with a heavy chain and lock to a stationary object.

• Chain your motorcycle or snowmobile to a stationary object such as a lamppost or sewer grating. Even when your vehicle is in the garage, use a heavy chain and padlock that resists conventional steel hacksaw blades.

As always please feel free to call me or email me.

Deputy Brian Heischuber

baheisch@lasd.org
661-255-1121 EXT. 5164
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Twitter @SCVSheriff http://www.twitter.com/scvsheriff
Twitter @jdLASD http://www.twitter.com/jdLASD
SCV Station Homepage – http://www.santaclarita.lasd.org
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