Burglars forced their way into a gated Woodland Hills home while a family was inside. Police launched an overnight search but the suspects fled before officers arrived. The incident is part of a growing burglary pattern across the San Fernando Valley.
A family inside a gated Woodland Hills home watched burglars force their way in on a quiet early Thursday morning. The incident on the 22000 block of Calvert Street has left neighbors rattled and checking their own locks twice.
Homeowners spotted the intruders on visible security cameras and quickly alerted a family friend, authorities said. By the time officers arrived, the crew had already taken off. No one inside the home was hurt, and detectives are still working to track down the suspects.
Topanga Division officers rushed to the home and launched an overnight air search, but the suspects were gone on arrival, according to KTLA. Investigators are now leaning on technology, including automated license plate readers, and are combing through surveillance footage in hopes of identifying vehicles and piecing together possible escape routes, police told the outlet.
Video shared with reporters showed a heavy police presence into the night, with patrol cars lined up along Calvert Street as officers canvassed the area and gathered evidence.
The Woodland Hills break in is not an isolated case. It fits into a larger pattern of recent residential burglaries stretching across Sherman Oaks, Encino and Tarzana that has put much of the San Fernando Valley on edge, as tracked by The Los Angeles Times.
In response, Mayor Karen Bass has ordered additional LAPD patrols in affected neighborhoods and along Ventura Boulevard, ABC7 reported. Officials say the department has moved more resources and detectives into the area while they work to determine whether this latest incident is tied to the wider burglary pattern.
The targeted Woodland Hills home had what many residents assume is enough to deter criminals: a gated perimeter, bright exterior lighting and clearly visible security cameras. Yet authorities told KTLA that some burglary crews have been disabling home internet systems before going inside, a tactic that can cut off real time access to security footage just when it matters most.
Police are urging anyone in the neighborhood who has doorbell cameras or other security video to preserve their files and share anything suspicious with detectives. Earlier coverage of a brazen 24 hour burglary blitz in nearby areas carried the same plea, underscoring how crucial amateur video has become in solving these cases.
Detectives continue to seek tips as they sift through leads. In the meantime, neighbors say they are keeping a closer watch on the block while police work to catch whoever slipped past the gates and into the quiet Woodland Hills home.
Three people are also sought in an attempted break-in at another Woodland Hills home on the same street late Wednesday night. The intruders smashed a window but did not make it into the residence in the 22000 block of Calvert Street. It appears they were scared off by family members or their large dog, police said.
No arrests were reported early Thursday morning. The crime is among the latest in a recent series of home break-ins and burglaries in the San Fernando Valley.
This article was generated with AI assistance.