Police are warning residents in the San Fernando Valley Thursday night of a thief suspected of stealing garage-opener remotes so he can return later and use the device to break into homes.
A thief broke into Nachum Golan's condominium garage and smashed his car window.
"He picked up a block and hit the front, right side of the glass, and he broke it, that's it," said Golan. "Only [took] the remote, and that's it."
Surveillance cameras placed throughout the building captured photos of the man, pictured below.
Police believe the same man broke into cars and homes in Encino between Jan. 15 and 19. Most of the burglaries happened in the morning, and authorities believe the man was in search of garage remotes for easy access to homes.
"Out of three cases, he's made it into one garage. He has attempted to enter into one residence with negative results," said LAPD Officer Sally Madera. "He has taken two clickers as of right now from two different cases, and a Bluetooth, and that's all the property he has taken."
Police are urging homeowners in the San Fernando Valley to keep car valuables hidden and locked away, and to take the remote out of the car when they park on the street.
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Nachum said he changed the code to his garage clicker following the break-in, but his wife worries if or when the thief will return.
"Maybe that was just a preparation for him to come back and to get really what he wanted to do once he had the clicker," Jeannie Golan said.
