Residential Burglaries Continue in Manhattan Beach

Six residential burglaries took place from Oct. 10-15, according to the Manhattan Beach Police Department, as the department continues to ramp up its burglary suppression teams, said Capt. Derrick Abell Friday.

On Oct. 10 in the 300 block of Eighth Street between 4:30 and 5 a.m., a suspect entered the home through an unlocked door and stole keys and a wallet, according to police. A trunk to a vehicle parked in the garage was open, too, but the victim said nothing was taken.

On Oct. 11 in the 1200 block of Sixth Street between 4 and 11:35 p.m., a suspect entered the home via an open window, ransacking several rooms. 

On Oct. 12 between 9:10 and 10:00 p.m., a suspect entered a home in the 1600 Block of Lynngrove Drive, ransacking the master bedroom.

On Oct. 14 between 9:40 a.m. and noon, a suspect pried open a rear door to a home in the 1800 block of Sixth Street, ransacking several bedrooms, taking a wallet and reportedly puncturing the passenger side tires of a vehilce parked inside the garage.  

On Oct. 15 between 9:15 a.m. and 12:47 p.m. in the 1800 block of Wendy Way, a suspect entered a home through a bathroom window by removing a screen. No loss was reported.

Abell said residents should keep doors and windows locked to protect their personal property and to call police anytime they see something suspicious.

The burglary suppression teams the department launched in response to a spike in residential burglaries in August is still in effect, with more bodies being added to the team, he said.

"Residential burglaries are obviously still a concern and we're still trying to address it," he said. The additional personnel added to the suppression team will help the department saturate the city even more.

Abell said burglars are getting more and more "complex and sophisticated," using sites other than their own homes to store stolen goods that are then quickly sold.

He said the department is looking for that one big break that produces results and the "cards start to tumble" for the burglars. 

"You've got to be quick," he said. "The hope is to catch somebody in action."

"People just have to be a little more cognizant" of their surroundings and protecting their property, he said, adding that the public's help is vital.

Abell said every city is experiencing more residential burglaries "to a certain degree."