_________________________________
_________________________________
“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
There were 17 Part I felony crimes reported in Cerritos this past week, three less than the previous reporting period. The following is a breakdown of crimes by category: three residential burglaries; two commercial/other burglaries; four grand thefts; five vehicle burglaries; and three auto thefts (one was an attempt). Deputies made two felony arrests, five misdemeanor arrests, and issued 94 traffic citations. The Sheriff’s dispatch center also received a total of 263 calls for service, slightly less than this year’s weekly average of 265 calls.
Residential Burglary:
17800 block Eric Ave (11/18): Suspect entered through a possibly unlocked kitchen window, ransacked the bedrooms, and stole a watch and jewelry valued at over $10,000.
18900 block Belshire Ave (11/20): Suspect shattered a rear sliding door, ransacked the bedrooms, and stole a safe containing miscellaneous items from a bedroom closet.
12400 block Dawn Ln (11/21-22): Suspect entered a condominium through possibly an unlocked door or window and using the victim’s keys, stole a Toyota Prius from the garage.
Commercial/Other Burglary:
13800 block Bentley Pl (11/18-19): Suspect cut a hole through a roll-up door, entered the warehouse and cut an inside security gate, and stole big-screen televisions valued at approximately $15,000. A delivery truck was also stolen.
11800 block Del Amo Blvd (11/17): Suspect stole $200 from victim’s wallet that was in a locker at LA Fitness. The victim’s lock was still operational and it is unknown how the suspect entered the locker.
Vehicle Burglary:
12500 block Vicente Pl (11/18-19): Suspect entered what appears to be an unlocked work truck parked near the victim’s condominium and stole camera equipment valued at over $5,000.
13300 block Beach St (11/19): Window shattered on a Lexus parked on the street and a diaper bag stolen.
20200 block Bloomfield Ave (11/19, 5:10 to 6 p.m.): A 3rd row seat was stolen from a possibly unlocked Chevy Tahoe parked at the Target store.
13700 block Carleton Dr (11/19-20): During early morning hours suspect shattered a window on a ’96 Toyota Corolla and stole the garage remote control.
12900 block Park Plaza Dr (11/21): Suspect shattered the window of a Toyota Camry in a commercial parking lot and stole a jacket.
Grand Theft:
19900 block Bloomfield Ave (11/16): Victim leaned his bicycle against his car at Regional Park, and while resting inside his vehicle a suspect stole the bicycle.
100 Los Cerritos Center (11/20): Two batteries stolen from a scissor lift at Los Cerritos Center.
11300 block Lagoon Cr (11/18): Former tenant stole a washer and dryer from a rental home.
16400 block Knoll Stone Cr (2/16-10/16): Resident possibly a victim of identity theft. Over several months an unknown suspect removed $2,355 from victim’s checking account to make payments on a car.
Grand Theft Auto
13800 block Bentley Pl (11/18-19): Isuzu box truck stolen from business during a warehouse burglary.
12700 block Towne Center Dr (11/20): A ‘’96 Honda Civic stolen from commercial parking lot.
11300 block South St (11/18): Victim was returning to her car parked outside of Toys ‘R’ Us and observed a suspect inside trying to steal the vehicle. The suspect fled in a waiting car.
‘Tis the Car Burglary Season
The City of Cerritos is averaging 3.8 car burglaries since the beginning of 2014, which is a nice reduction from last year’s weekly average of six through the same time period. This is no time to relax, however, as the coming holiday season means more packages and valuable items in cars that will be irresistible to thieves. Remember these crime prevention shopping tips: When shopping, travel with a companion if possible, don’t wear expensive jewelry or take lots of cash if you don’t need to, and never leave items visible in your car whether it’s parked at a mall or in your driveway. Thieves can’t steal what’s not there, so don’t even give them a chance.