Cerritos Weekly Crime Recap: April 18-24

Editor's Note: The information below comes from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Cerritos Station's weekly crime summary. 

The  received reports of 13 Part I felony crimes during this period, a significant drop from 27 the week before. There was a decrease of crimes in all categories with the exception of vehicle thefts, which remained the same. Field deputies handled 239 calls for service, and the 2011 weekly average in calls for service is now 256. 

ROBBERIES

One robbery occurred on April 20 at 12:15 p.m. following a shoplifting incident at a store in the Los Cerritos Center. The female suspect took high-end perfume and attacked a loss prevention officer in an attempt to escape, but she was quickly arrested. 

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES

Residential burglaries dropped from four to two during this period. One burglar broke into a home through an unlocked window and the other made entry by kicking in a side garage door. Jewelry and bicycles were taken in the break-ins.  The 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries remains at 3.4. 

Sheriff's safety tip: We are getting back into warmer weather and many residents are inclined to leave a window or two open for ventilation.  We discourage this practice because an open or unlocked door or window is the first thing that most residential burglars will look for to make an effortless entry into the home. 

COMMERCIAL/OTHER STRUCTURE BURGLARIES

Two commercial burglaries were reported during this week. A closed business and a school were targeted, but there was apparently no loss in either crime. The 2011 weekly average in “other structure”/commercial burglaries is now 2.8.  

VEHICLE BURGLARIES

Vehicle burglaries dropped from nine to two during this period. One of the crimes occurred in a high-volume commercial parking lot, and the other happened in a residential tract. One of the vehicles that was broken into was an SUV. An MP3 player, a backpack, and shoes were taken in the burglaries. The new 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries is 5.1. 

Sheriff's safety tip: We constantly warn owners of SUVs not to leave anything in their vehicles due to a lack of trunk space and the fact that criminals are well aware of this.

VEHICLE THEFTS

There were three vehicle thefts during this week. A Honda, a Toyota, and a trailer were stolen from high-volume commercial parking lots. The current 2011 weekly average in this category is 2.2. 

Sheriff's safety tip: If you own one of the commonly reported stolen vehicles in Cerritos, such as an 80’s or 90’s Honda or Toyota, we urge that you use a steering wheel locking device.  Based on the variety of vehicles taken each week in addition to Hondas and Toyotas, a sound approach would be to equip your vehicle regardless of what make it is.