Cerritos Weekly Crime Recap: Nov. 7 to Nov. 13

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

Part I felony investigations conducted by members of the  increased from 22 the week before to 28 for this reporting period. Robberies, commercial burglaries, and vehicle thefts climbed, vehicle burglaries remained the same, and residential burglaries declined. The total of calls for service for this period was not available, but the 2011 weekly average in that category is 272. 

ROBBERIES

There was one robbery reported on Monday, Nov. 7 at about 6:45 p.m. when a 17-year-old boy drove over 70 miles to the 11340 block of South Street to purchase a small amount of marijuana.  The arrangement had been made via a website, and upon arrival, two male suspects robbed the victim at gunpoint of cash, an iPhone, and his shoes.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES

Residential burglaries dropped from six to three last week. Two of the crimes were due to open/unlocked doors or windows. Jewelry, laptop computers, knives, and an MP3 player were taken in those break-ins. The third burglary was interrupted by a homeowner after the suspects attempted to open a screen door. The two suspects fled over the victim’s wall. The 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries is 4.0 

Sheriff's note: Leaving a window or door unlocked or open makes entry entirely too easy for the burglar. Physical force and prying can be overcome by installation of hardware that holds the sliding glass window or door tightly to the frame. This prevents movement that is necessary to affect entry and can be accomplished by the use of locking pins. Remember, burglars do not like to attract attention and rarely smash a residential window to gain entry. Make it more difficult for them to make you a victim. 

COMMERCIAL/OTHER STRUCTURE BURGLARIES

Commercial burglaries were up from one to three last week. A closed business, a church, and a fitness center locker were targeted. Circuit breakers and a sound system were stolen along with ID, a cell phone and keys (from the locker). The 2011 weekly average in commercial/“other structure” burglaries is 2.9.  

VEHICLE BURGLARIES

Vehicle burglaries remained the same at 11 last week. Five were from high-volume commercial parking lots. Five involved SUVs. A GPS unit and a high-end stereo were taken. Other property reported stolen included CDs, sunglasses, tools, cameras, coins, cash, purses, jewelry, and a steering wheel. Third-row seats were also removed from SUVs. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries remained at 6.8. 

Sheriff's safety tip: Six of the vehicle burglaries last week occurred in residential neighborhoods in the early morning hours. Leaving property in the passenger compartment of a vehicle is never wise, especially overnight. The risk of being caught in the early morning hours in a residential track is not as great as in a commercial parking lot where there are motorists and pedestrians present. We recommend locking items in the trunk if you absolutely must leave them in a vehicle, but if you own an SUV, pick-up or van, this is not an option.

VEHICLE THEFTS

Vehicle thefts rose from two to six last week. Three were taken from high-volume commercial parking lots. Three SUVs, a Honda, a Toyota, and a commercial truck were stolen. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle thefts is now 3.2.

* Visit www.safercerritos.com for an extensive library of crime prevention tips, disaster preparedness information, and a variety of links to other pertinent sites.