San Marino Police Chief John Incontro said Thursday at the weekly Rotary Club meeting that four more homes had been burglarized in the previous 24-hour period.
The first of the four homes broken into was discovered Wednesday, in the early evening hours. The burglary occurred on the west side of San Marino. At this time it is unclear what, if anything, was taken.
The next three homes were burglarized overnight between 6 p.m. Wednesday to Thursday morning, September 21. The homes were within one block of each other on Chester Avenue, Chaucer Road and Robles Avenue. Jewelry was stolen from one of the homes. In the other two incidents it is unclear if anything was taken.
SMPD Detective Brian Wong says the suspect or suspects appear to be using a type of tool called a “window punch” that can shatter glass silently. In all four incidents, the homes were entered from the back, through sliding glass doors that had been shattered.
Police said burglars are generally staying away from anything that can be traced, such as iPads, laptops and other electronic devices—opting instead for money or jewelry that is offloaded quickly before it can be identified.
Detective Wong said the department “advocates for using alarm systems that are in good working order.”
The systems should be kept up-to-date and used actively—even if leaving the house for a short period of time. The detective said surveillance cameras and applications like Ring and Nest, which can be accessed remotely, are valuable evidentiary items if a home is burglarized.
“You can put these cameras in an open area, where someone who comes in would be likely to walk past,” Detective Wong said. “If you are alerted to a motion, and you don’t have any pets, that’s a problem. Give police a call and tell them what you’re seeing.”
Glass sensors and motion detectors can also be helpful.
“If you see something, say something,” Detective Wong said, repeating a phrase that is popular at the SMPD. “No suspicious incident is too small for us to respond to. We have no issues with responding to your calls. We need everyone’s help, though… their eyes and their ears.”
