Arcadia police are on the search Friday for a man who has burglarized two upscale homes in the residential area.
The robbery and an attempted break-in over the past week are a case of the burglar targeting homes where doors were open or unlocked due to the hot weather.
“In both crimes, the suspect appears to be looking for a crime of opportunity, targeting unlocked residential doors,” said Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque in a statement posted on his department's blog.
Police believe both the hot prowl burglaries were committed by the same man.
In the first robbery a woman woke up and saw a man with a flashlight in her bedroom at about 4:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Diamond Street, said Le Veque. The burglar grabbed her purse and ran off. The woman’s two teenage children were home at the time, no injuries were caused.
Wednesday night, a man heard someone trying to open his front door in the 600 block of West Walnut Avenue about 11 p.m., said Le Veque. The burglar then began opening a side door. When the resident turned on his porch light, the intruder shined a flashlight in his face and ran off.
Both victims described the burglar as a white man possibly in his 20s, 5 feet 10, about 150 pounds and carrying a flashlight.
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Police urged residents to check their doors and windows before going to bed and setting their house alarms.
“We are asking for the public’s help, mainly to be very vigilant and to lock all of their doors and windows.” said Arcadia police Lt. Bob Anderson. “Turn an exterior light on at night, set their alarm if they have one.”
Other advice from the Arcadia police department on reducing burglaries includes, ensuring hedges and bushes are trimmed in front of homes; locking and securing all side gates; and never leaving valuables in plain view from the outside.
Anyone with information on the hot prowl burglar is urged to call the Arcadia Police Department at (626) 574-5150.
