Police responded in force last Thursday afternoon to a call about a potential burglary suspect inside a residence in the 600 block of South Orange Drive, near 6th Street.

Officers assembled in front of a residence on Orange Drive near 6th Street on May 7 after it was reported that a burglar may be inside. Police entered the house and determined the burglar had fled. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The burglary was reported at approximately 4:55 p.m. After assembling an entry team, officers went inside the home and determined the burglar had already fled.

Det. Carmine Sasso, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division, said 18 burglaries have occurred from May 3 through May 9. The suspect in this case cut open a screen and entered through a rear door, similar to other burglaries occurring in the Wilshire Division. Sasso said he is uncertain whether the same suspect or suspects are responsible for the multiple break-ins.

“We had a bad week,” Sasso said. “That was the only one on Orange. They are spread all over the division. We had a few north of 3rd Street and we had several south of Wilshire between La Cienega and Arlington. We have been trending just under 16 per week for the division. We have been pretty constant on the uptick.”

Sasso said an increase in thefts and burglaries in the division has been occurring since the beginning of the year. The pinnacle came in February, when 38 burglaries were reported during one week.

“These property crimes are spiking,” Sasso added. “It’s random throughout the division. If they knock on the door and no one answers, they go around the back and break in.”

The investigator said he could not definitively say what is causing the increase, but he surmises that gang members from neighborhoods south of the division area are coming to the Wilshire area to commit burglaries. He said they often work in pairs or groups and search for homes that may be easy targets.

“People have to be vigilant about their property, and maybe invest in an alarm system,” Sasso said. “A large piece is education. The other part of the strategy is putting [police] out there, both in uniform and plain clothes. We are trying to catch these people before they commit a crime.”

Sasso said he is waiting for a report from the homeowner in the burglary on Orange Drive to determine exactly what was stolen. He said typically the burglars steal cash, jewelry, electronics and items they can easily sell.

Residents are warned to keep doors and windows locked, and to keep window shades drawn so people cannot see inside. Sasso added that something simple such as leaving a radio or television on, can be a deterrent that makes a burglar think someone is home. For additional prevention tips, he encouraged residents to visit www.lapdwilshire.com.