 Face to Face With a Burglar
by Cara Alson
copyright 2007
In the middle of a sunny day in March a stranger came to our door. When I opened it I began a short journey that would change my world.
A pleasant man explained that he and his crew had been hired to trim trees in the yard behind ours, and he wanted to avoid damage to our property. He asked that we both meet him in the back yard so that he could show us what they would be doing. My husband unlocked the gate, which is next to the kitchen door, and they went in the back I soon followed, closing the unlocked kitchen door behind me. When I rounded the back of the house they were at the far corner of the yard. The man was pointing something out to my husband, and then gestured to me, urging me to join them. He was also talking on a cell phone.
Little alarms began to ring in my mind. He was too anxious for me to join them. I recalled a burglary reenactment on television; it showed how an elderly woman was guided into a back room under false pretenses, allowing another person to enter the front door.
I said my phone was ringing, and I was going in the house. The man gestured wildly, desperate to get me to turn back. As I came around the corner to the side of the house, I was shocked to find another man just two feet from our back door. He looked just as surprised, and said something about going in the back yard. He also carried a cell phone, and we later realized the second man was advised when we my husband and I were both out of the house. Afraid he would get physical, I quickly went up the steps and locked the kitchen door behind me.
After they left I called 1-877-ASK-LAPD, the non-emergency help line in Los Angeles, and spoke with a dispatcher who said she would send the information to cars in the area. The next day I spoke with Detective Ted Knott of the North Hollywood Division. He told me this attempted burglary was one of many being reported in the area. Perpetrated by groups consisting of men and women (sometimes using their children) using various ruses to get older people in the back yard while a partner burgles the house. An acquaintance later told my husband both she and her sister-in-law were victims of people who conned their way into their homes. One woman caught on and ordered the man out. The second woman allowed a man and woman into her home, and while the woman kept her busy the man stole all her good jewelry.
These are referred to as “elder distraction” crimes. There is a three-person unit that investigates Distraction Burglaries for the entire city of Los Angeles. The officer in charge is Detective Lee (Lenora) Lindsey. Detective Jeff Anderson and Officer Rosa Torres took detailed reports from us and showed us a book of photos that included possible suspects.
Detective Anderson said jewelry, cash, coin collections and credit cards are the common target items. The burglars have been known to leave some cash in a wallet, so the seniors will think they just don’t recall spending the money. If they don’t know they’ve been burgled, there’s no report.
There are several groups working in the city of Los Angeles; the members of this group look Hispanic, but they are actually Gypsies. So far this year sixty reports have been made in Los Angeles. The detective stressed that even an attempted burglary is a crime. Some victims think it’s their fault because they let the criminals into their homes.
He urged victims not to feel foolish – they’re not alone. I admit I winced when I heard the term elder distraction, but I told several neighbors and the mailman, and I decided to write this story as a warning to as many people as possible.
Once someone steps off the sidewalk and towards your home, they are on your private property. You have the right not to open your door to strangers. You are free to tell someone who makes you suspicious to get off your property. No person has the right to enter your home or back yard without your permission. City, state and utility employees must carry and provide ID; if they refuse, call the police.
If you believe you’ve been targeted and turn the people away, immediately call 911. If you are a victim, call your local police station and make a report.
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