Cerritos Weekly Crime Recap: Oct. 24 to Oct. 30

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

 investigated 33 Part I felony crimes during this period, up from 18 the week before. All categories of this report showed increases with the exception of robberies, which remained the same. There were 266 calls for service handled by patrol personnel last week, up by two from the previous week. The current 2011 weekly average in calls for service is 272.

ROBBERIES

Two robberies were reported during this week. On Friday, Oct. 28 at 6:57 p.m. a woman was loading items into her trunk in the 11100 block of 183rd Street when a lone male suspect grabbed the purse strapped to her shoulder and fled. The second incident occurred at 9:05 p.m. the same evening when a male suspect wielding a handgun robbed a business in the 17500 block of Bloomfield Avenue. 

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES

Eight residential burglaries were logged in this period, up from one the previous week. Four of the cases involved open or unlocked doors or windows. Two windows were also pried open, and two doors were forced open. A safe, gym bags, cash, laptop computers, guitars, jewelry, and electronic games were stolen. The 2011 weekly average in residential burglaries is 4.0 

Sheriff's note: In the lone residential burglary the previous week, it was mistakenly reported that the cause was an open or unlocked door or window. The entry was in fact caused by an unknown object used to break the master bedroom window.

COMMERCIAL/OTHER STRUCTURE BURGLARIES

Commercial burglaries increased from three to four last week. Two closed businesses, a fitness center locker, and a storage unit were targeted. A mail bag was taken from one of the businesses, and no loss could be determined in the second. A purse, credit cards, and a cell phone were removed from the locker. . The 2011 weekly average in commercial/“other structure” burglaries is 3.0.   

VEHICLE BURGLARIES

Vehicle burglaries were also up from five to six last week. Five occurred in high-volume commercial parking lots, four involved SUVs. Purses, ID, cameras, laptop computers, and a third-row seat (from an SUV) were reported stolen. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle burglaries remained at 6.6. 

Sheriff's safety tip: Window smashes continue to be the most frequent means of entering the vehicles in these thefts. Remember that only a very thin layer of glass separates the thief from your valuable property. Your visible property can be seen, the window smashed, and the items stolen in five seconds or less. Don’t leave these items in your vehicle. Leave them at home, or lock them in the trunk if you absolutely must have them in the car. 

VEHICLE THEFTS

Vehicle thefts were up from two to nine in this period. Eight from last week occurred in high-volume commercial parking lots. Two SUVs, a Honda, a Nissan, a Ford, a Mercury product, and two commercial trucks were taken. The 2011 weekly average in vehicle thefts is now 3.1. 

Sheriff's safety tip: It is very important that you use some form of an anti-theft device to retain your vehicle. Visible deterrents, such as a steering wheel locking device, are the most obvious and tell the would-be thief to look elsewhere. A great deal of success has been demonstrated by tracking devices that can lead law enforcement directly to the location of a stolen vehicle. These systems cost a little more and require a monthly fee, but are very effective. 

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