ENCINO, CA – A mother and daughter returned to their upscale Encino home Wednesday night to find it being ransacked by burglars. The intruders, who made off with thousands of dollars in property, fled the scene before police arrived.
The homeowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the terrifying moment she discovered the break-in. “I was scared for my life,” she said. Surveillance footage shows three masked individuals jumping a neighbor’s fence, breaking a glass door, and scouring the home for valuables. The burglars escaped with designer clothes and handbags.
The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Rubio Avenue, near Ventura Boulevard. The homeowner’s husband had just left for a walk with their dog, while she and her daughter were out getting ice cream. Upon their return, they noticed broken glass and heard the intruders inside. “My daughter was panicking,” the homeowner recalled. “We just turned around and ran.”
This burglary is the fifth targeting upscale homes in the San Fernando Valley in the past two weeks. Law enforcement officials note a troubling increase in “hot prowl” burglaries, where intruders break in while residents are home. Data indicates a significant rise in such incidents from 2020 to 2023, a trend some attribute to the increase in people working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Security experts emphasize the importance of robust alarm systems, proper lighting, and protective coatings for glass doors and windows to deter burglars. The family reported that the suspects fled in a white Chevy with tinted windows. The LAPD has yet to determine if this incident is connected to other recent burglaries in the area.
The homeowner expressed concern about the lack of consequences for such crimes. “They feel like they have a right to do this because there are no consequences,” she said. “They just keep doing it.”