GARDENERS MAKE CHILLING DISCOVERY IN FRONT OF FAMILY'S HOME
Gardeners in Southern California made a chilling discovery outside a family's home just a week after the same strange item was found in another yard.
In a chilling discovery, gardeners stumbled upon a hidden camera while working at a home on the 200 block of Via El Encantador on April 16, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
The recording device was found pointing at the single family home, hidden under a landscaped area of the front yard.
It was covered in camouflage tape and hidden amongst plants, the police said.
Cops have urgently warned homeowners to survey their properties as hidden cameras linked to 'burglary tourism' are on the rise in crime-ravaged Southern California.
Along with the camera, other items were found with the device in April. Police said they are still investigating the finding.
'The device consists of a battery pack, power cord and a camera with a memory card. These items were processed for evidence and booked for retention,' Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office told KTLA5.
'The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office would like the public to be aware of this incident and encourage anyone who finds a similar device to immediately report it to law enforcement,' Zick said.
An image of the devices showed a black hand-held camera with a memory card, a large back battery pack and a power cord wrapped in camouflage tape.
A similar hidden camera was found in a bush outside a home on S. Primrose Avenue last Monday night, following an attempted burglary on the residence.
A social media post showed a photo of the device - a camera concealed in a green shell surrounded by leaves.
'Last night, your APD responded to a call on the 1900 block of S. Primrose Ave. regarding a report of an attempted burglary,' the Alhambra Police Department wrote in a statement last Wednesday that announced no arrests.
'The victim's neighbor found a hidden camera in the bushes pointing toward their home.
'Their alarm company also notified them of an attempt to open the kitchen window earlier that day.
'Unfortunately, camouflage cameras are a tactic being used in residential burglaries,' it continued, sharing an evidence photo of the camera in question.
'These cameras are strategically placed in discrete areas, such as bushes, to allow thieves to gather information about homeowners' daily routines to burglarize their homes.'
An alarm company notified the homeowners of an attempt to open the kitchen window earlier that day, a month after four Colombian nationals were cuffed for allegedly running a 'burglary tourism' ring that involved the use of camouflage cameras.
That happened in Glendale a few miles away, as burglary tourism seen since the pandemic continues to dominate headlines not only in The Golden State, but elsewhere as well.
In the Glendale case, the four arrested - 28-year-old Bryan Martinez Vargas, Jose Antonio Velasquez, 28, Edison Arley Pinzon Fandino, 27, and Luis Carlos Moreno, 29 - were all Colombian, and all proponents of the new trend, cops claim.
In this particular incident, the cameras were found before the thieves could gain entry.
The camera was found in the bushes and camouflaged with greenery to prevent it from being seen, but who put it there and how long it was stationed remains unknown.
The camera in that case was also found by an eagle-eyed neighbor, the homeowner told KTLA May 28.
'Burglary tourism' involves foreign nationals entering the United States using tourist visas to commit burglaries, Glendale PD Sgt. Vahe Abramyan reiterated last month.
'They’ll commit these crimes, they’ll use different identities, things like that and eventually they’ll go back to their home country.
'Some of these residential burglars have been recorded going through second-story homes,' added Officer Jessica Cuchilla with the police force in Huntington Beach.
“In these instances, the reason why they’re going in through there is because people don’t install alarm systems on their second story.
The thieves typically then ship the items they steal back to their home countries or sell the items before leaving, both cops said.
If you spot a suspicious vehicle, write down the license plate, officers also advised - adding to also keep your front porch and exteriors well-lit.
Trees and bushes should also be well-trimmed, they said - as to not become an easy hiding spot for thieves.
The installation of security cameras is also important, the cop said - as is monitoring them frequently.
And lastly, a broken window or open door should be a telltale sign to call police immediately, and to not even come close to entering.
'Remember, it's important to regularly inspect the exterior of your home for any unfamiliar objects or changes in the landscaping that could potentially hide a surveillance camera,' cops said in their statement.
'Keep an eye out for suspicious people knocking on doors. They may be checking whether someone is home.'
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