Cerritos Sheriff's Deputies Catch Five Residential Burglars In the Act

A total of five suspects were arrested last week in connection with two home burglaries in Cerritos, marking a victory for the as it combats the growing problem of residential burglaries in the city over the past year. 

Three Arrested on Oct. 3

The first set of arrests were made on Oct. 3, when sheriff's deputies responded to a call from a Cerritos resident who was reporting a burglary in progress. The suspects fled the location prior to the deputies' arrival, but they were found hiding in a nearby location.

Stolen property connecting the three suspects to the burglary, and another break-in, were found on their person and inside their vehicle. The three were arrested and detectives are continuing to investigate the case. 

Two Arrested on Oct. 7

Two more arrests came four days later, on Oct. 7, when deputies responded to a a call from a Cerritos resident who said that two males tried to break into her home. 

The resident said the two male suspects had knocked on her front door and when she did not answer, they went to the back of her home and peered through the windows. When the suspects saw the resident, they fled on foot.

Deputies who responded to the call detained the pair a short distance from the home and found them in possession of gloves and burglary tools. The suspects, a 19-year-old man and 16-year-old boy, were positively identified as the individuals who had peered through the windows of the resident's home.

The pair was arrested for attempted burglary and a follow-up investigation is being conducted by Cerritos Sheriff's detectives.     

Burglaries Continue to Be A Glaring Problem in City's Safety

Despite plummeting statistics when it comes to overall crime in the city of Cerritos, residential and vehicle burglaries continue to be a thorn in the side of the Cerritos Sheriff's Station as data shows a nearly 30 percent increase in reported burglaries through the end of September compared to the same time period last year.  

During last month's , Capt. Joe A. Gonzales stressed that his team of deputies were totally focused on tackling the city's burglary problem.

“I want to zero this out,” the captain said during the meeting. “I don’t want anyone to be a victim.” 

According to the sheriff's station's most recently issued weekly crime report (covering the period of Oct. 3 to Oct. 9), an average of four residential burglaries are logged each week. However, during the weeks of Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, and Oct. 3 and Oct. 9, there were eight burglaries reported each week. 

One of the gained widespread media attention as it involved the break-in of a Cerritos home owned by an off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff's sergeant, who shot and wounded two of three burglars he found them coming out of his fumigated residence in the 12900 block of Glenda Street on the evening of Oct. 5. 

The two wounded suspects were arrested, and the third man remains at large. Because it was a deputy-involved shooting, the case remains under separate multi-agency investigations conducted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau and the Internal Affairs Bureau.

What Can You Do to Prevent Becoming a Victim of a Burglary?

As the number of citywide burglaries climbs, the Sheriff's Station urges residents to take a proactive approach when it comes to helping thrwart this problem.

Most importantly, Cerritos residents are encouraged to at all times, observe the activities in their neighborhood and report any suspicious activity to the Cerritos Sheriff's Station by calling (562) 860-0044 or 911.

Reporting a suspicious vehicle, person, or strange noise could make all the difference when it comes to catching a burglar in the act. This is especially true as the Cerritos Sheriff's deputies currently boast the quickest response time countywide, according to information provided during the .

Other tips to prevent residential burglaries include:

1. Having an monitored home alarm system. This measure sends a would-be-thief looking for an easier opportunity.
2. Having a dog, especially if your house is empty during the work day
3. Posting a “Beware of Dog” sign
4. Organizing a Neighborhood Watch group in your area so that neighbors can look out for each other and any suspicious activity when you’re not home
5. Avoid leaving windows or doors open for ventilation when you leave your home
6. Reinforcing gates, fences and side garage doors
7. Putting valuable things inside a safe, BUT also make sure to bolt the safe to the floor because safes can easily be carried out of the residence
8. If you have valuable things, make sure to take photos of the items so you can bring these images into a pawn shops should they ever be stolen (And, don’t leave the images in your camera in case that too gets stolen.)

Tips shared to prevent vehicle burglaries include:

1. Avoid leaving your purse unattended inside the car
2. Keeping valuable items out of plain sight
3. Avoid leaving windows open for ventilation when your car is parked and unattended.

To see a list of more crime prevention tips, visit the city's Safer Cerritos website at safercerritos.com.