Sherman Oaks man Timothy Chatman, 38, arrested for looking into homes including a teenage girl's bedroom window. He had prior burglary record and was on probation.
A man accused of looking through windows of at least five homes in Sherman Oaks was arrested early Wednesday morning. Timothy Chatman, 38, was booked on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and trespassing.
LAPD officers responded at 2:43 a.m. Wednesday to the 5500 block of Ranchito Avenue between Chandler and Burbank boulevards after a homeowner called 911. The resident discovered a man in their backyard looking inside a window of a teenage girl's bedroom.
When officers arrived at the scene they caught and arrested the suspect. LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes told City News Service that the man was reportedly looking inside the teenager's room.
Chatman was accused of looking through windows of at least five houses in an eight-hour span. Officers took at least three reports for trespassing after responding to the area near the 5500 block of Ranchito Avenue.
LAPD Capt. Christopher Zine told NBC4 Investigates that the incident shows why community partnership matters. A resident had been actively monitoring their cameras. They received the motion alert and engaged with the trespasser. The resident told the individual to leave. When the person jumped over a fence they went into somebody else's backyard. The resident notified their neighbor.
Authorities told NBC4 Investigates that Chatman has a prior arrest record for burglary and was on probation. He was arrested and booked after the incident.
This latest incident follows a series of break-ins and close calls over the last month across the San Fernando Valley. As of April 30 NBCLA has counted at least 26 cases.
Zine said officers are out there in force trying to prevent these criminal acts from happening. But he emphasized that they need the community's partnership.
This article was generated with AI assistance.