Gardeners in Southern California made a chilling discovery outside a family’s home just a week after the same strange object was found in another garden.
In a chilling discovery, gardeners stumbled upon a hidden camera while working at a home in the 200 block of Via El Encantador on April 16, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
The recording device was found pointing at the single-family home, hidden under a landscaped area in the front yard.
It was covered with camouflage tape and hidden among plants, police said.
Police have urgently warned homeowners to inspect their properties as hidden cameras linked to “burglar tourism” are on the rise in crime-ravaged Southern California.
A hidden camera with a memory card (right), a power cord wrapped in camouflage tape (left), and a large battery were discovered in the yard of a home in Santa Barbara in April.
Gardeners work at a home in the 200 block of Via El Encantador on April 16, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to the camera, other items were found next to the device in April. Police said they are still investigating the find.
“The device consists of a battery, a power cord and a camera with a memory card. These items were processed as evidence and set aside for retention,” said Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office. KTLA5.
“The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office would like to make the public aware of this incident and encourage anyone who finds a similar device to immediately report it to authorities,” Zick said.
An image of the devices showed a black handheld camera with a memory card, a large rear battery and a power cable wrapped in camouflage tape.
A similar hidden camera was found in a bush outside a home on S. Primrose Avenue Monday night following an attempted burglary at the residence.
A social media post showed a photo of the device: a camera hidden in a green shell surrounded by leaves.
A similar hidden camera was found in a bush outside a home on S. Primrose Avenue Monday night, following an attempted burglary at the residence.
A social network showed a photo of the device: a camera hidden in a green shell surrounded by leaves (pictured)
‘Last night, your APD responded to a call in the 1900 block of S. Primrose Ave. regarding a report of an attempted robbery,’ the Alhambra Police Department wrote in a statement last Wednesday that announced no arrests.
The victim’s neighbor found a hidden camera in the bushes pointing toward his house.
‘Their alarm company also notified them of an attempt to open the kitchen window earlier that day.
“Unfortunately, camouflage cameras are a tactic used in residential burglaries,” he continued, sharing an evidence photo of the camera in question.
“These cameras are strategically placed in discreet areas, such as bushes, to allow thieves to gather information about homeowners’ daily routines to rob their homes.”
An alarm company notified the home’s owners of an attempt to open the kitchen window that same day, a month after four Colombian citizens were handcuffed for allegedly running a “robbery tourism” ring involving the use of camouflage cameras.
That happened in Glendale, a few miles away, as the robbery tourism seen since the pandemic continues to dominate headlines not only in the Golden State, but elsewhere as well.
In the Glendale case, the four arrested – Bryan Martinez Vargas, 28, Jose Antonio Velasquez, 28, Edison Arley Pinzon Fandino, 27, and Luis Carlos Moreno, 29 – were all Colombian and all of them advocates of the new trend, police say.
In this particular incident, the cameras were found before the thieves could gain entry.
The camera was found in the bushes and camouflaged with vegetation to prevent it from being seen, but it is unknown who placed it there and how long it was parked.
The camera in that case was also found by an eagle-eyed neighbor, the homeowner told KTLA on May 28.
Glendale Police Department Sergeant Vahe Abramyan reiterated last month that “robbery tourism” involves foreign nationals entering the United States using tourist visas to commit robberies.
‘They will commit these crimes, use different identities, things like that and eventually return to their home country.
“Some of these residential burglars have been recorded breaking into second-floor homes,” added Officer Jessica Cuchilla of the Huntington Beach Police Force.
“In these cases, the reason they go in there is because people don’t install alarm systems on the second floor.
Thieves typically ship the items they steal back to their home countries or sell them before leaving, both police officers said.
Police have urged residents to inspect their yards as the act of “burglary tourism” has taken hold in crime-ravaged Southern California. (Pictured: Another hidden camera found outside a home in Los Angeles)
If you see a suspicious vehicle, write down the license plate, officers also advised, as well as keeping your front porch and exterior well lit.
Trees and bushes should also be well pruned, they said, so they don’t become an easy hiding place for thieves.
Installing security cameras is also important, the police officer said, as well as monitoring them. frequently.
And lastly, a broken window or an open door should be a telltale sign to call the police immediately and not even come close to entering.
“Remember, it is important to regularly inspect the exterior of your home for any unknown objects or changes in the landscape that could obscure a surveillance camera,” cops said in their statement.
‘Be alert for suspicious people knocking on doors. They may be checking to see if anyone is home.
(tags to translate)dailymail
