Thieves struck two more homes in and around the San Fernando Valley this weekend, bringing the total to nine homes stolen since April 11.
The latest in a string of recent thefts came as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday that she has directed the Los Angeles Police Department to increase patrols along Ventura Boulevard.
Police have not determined whether the burglaries are connected.
Officers responded to a call Saturday night in Toluca Lake, where thieves are said to have made off with high-value items like jewelry and cash. The LAPD also responded to a call of a burglary at a home in the Hollywood Hills early Sunday morning.
Around 9:45 p.m. Saturday, police responded to a call at a home in the 4900 block of Strohm Avenue. The thieves opened a window to enter a room on the second floor. Officers responded to a second call about 3:30 a.m. at a home a few miles away in the 3100 block of Lake Hollywood Drive.
Details of what the thieves stole from that home were not available as of Sunday morning.
In addition to the six Valley-area burglaries previously reported by the Times, police also confirmed they responded to a call at a home in the 12600 block of Heron Street in Sylmar on April 15 at approximately 11:37 p.m. The back door was broken and the house ransacked.
“I have directed the LAPD to strategically deploy resources along Ventura Boulevard and prioritize this area by holding these criminals accountable,” Bass said in a statement Friday. “Residents deserve to feel safe in their communities, especially in their homes, and we will continue to deploy the necessary resources to keep people safe.”
Multiple vandalism near Ventura Boulevard
Four of the previous burglaries occurred within two miles of Ventura Boulevard, while another occurred about three and a half miles away. The second home that was affected was about eight miles away.
The first theft was reported on the evening of April 11 in Sherman Oaks, in the 13000 block of Davana Terrace, about a block off Ventura Boulevard.
Police responded the next day to a home in the Hollywood Hills in the 7100 block of Macapa Drive, where a resident entered the home around 9:30 p.m. and found multiple burglars inside. Officials said the thieves attacked the resident, who suffered minor injuries.
On April 14, police responded to a home in Valley Village in the 11700 block of Hesby Street around 8:30 p.m. Then, less than an hour later, officers were called to a home in Valley Glen in the 12700 block of Hatteras Street, about a mile and a half away. Police said the suspects fled before they arrived.
The next day another home was targeted in Valley Glen, with police responding to a call at a home in the 6800 block of Vanscoy Avenue. According to the LAPD, two men wearing gray hoodies entered but fled before officers arrived.
On Thursday, police responded to a call in Granada Hills reporting that three men wearing masks and black clothing had broken into a home in the 11900 block of Wood Ranch Road.
Additionally, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” star Dylan Sprouse faced a trespasser at his Hollywood Hills home on Friday. Sources familiar with the incident told The Times that Sprouse encountered a man on the lawn near his home after his wife, Victoria’s Secret model Barbara Palvin, noticed the “creepy guy.”
Police said the suspect, taken on an outstanding warrant, did not come inside the couple’s 1920s Spanish-style home, only onto the property.
Mayor announces increased LAPD patrols
In addition to additional patrols, the LAPD is deploying more vehicles to high-visibility locations; using mobile license plate readers around high-risk theft areas; using air support to patrol; holding weekly theft meetings with detectives; and collaborating with specialized divisions such as the Robbery Homicide Division and the Commercial Crime Division “to investigate burglaries involving high value loss.” bass instructions.
At least one of Bass’s rivals in the upcoming L.A. mayoral election has condemned his latest move.
“When she claims to have ‘ordered’ the police chief to specifically direct police resources, Bass is merely pretending to be tough on crime,” former reality TV star turned mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt said Saturday. post on x. “The city charter is very clear and there are limits to the mayor’s authority in this regard. The chief is solely responsible for the day-to-day operations of the police department.”
Bass has previously announced directives regarding strategic LAPD deployments, including during a March dispute regarding the occupation of a street near upscale apartments in Downtown.
Valley residents had earlier demanded increased LAPD action
A spate of burglaries last year has shocked San Fernando Valley residents.
Last summer some residents said they were afraid and angry after “American Idol” music supervisor Robin Kaye, 70, and her rock musician husband, Tom DeLuca, 70, were murdered by an intruder in their Encino home. Raymond Booderian, 23, was charged with murder and burglary.
At the time, community leaders had asked Bais to increase security in the area after a deadly home attack and other vandalism incidents.
“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Teddi Mellencamp’s Havenhurst Avenue home was also targeted in July by three intruders who jumped the fence and entered the property.
Times staff writers Salvador Hernandez, Sierra Morgan, Dakota Smith, Emily St. Martin and Richard Vinton contributed to this report.
