Residents of an affluent California neighborhood have been left terrified after robbers ransacked their apartments while they were being fumigated.
The burglaries took place at the Del Ray Plaza complex in Playa del Rey, where tents were erected and fumigation took place from December 11 to 13.
Residents of the building, located on the west side of Los Angeles, were promised 24-hour security by the homeowners’ association.
Despite this, thieves looted 23 of the total 39 units, making off with cash, jewelery and other valuables, while leaving the vacant houses in disarray.
“We have 23 doors that have been smashed. We have places that have been looted that you have no idea about,” said Loren Brown, a resident, who spoke to KTLA News.
Brown added, “The money is gone, the guns are gone. The people who were here knew what they were doing.
“They were wearing respirators. This doesn’t feel like something organic. For me, this is somehow an inside job.”
Several people reported seeing lights on in the building during the fumigation, despite residents being told to turn them off before leaving the building.
One of the intruders, who was wearing a gas mask, was eerily captured on home security footage opening the front door of the unit before letting himself in.
The burglars were able to destroy 23 of the total 39 units in the building, stealing cash, jewelry and other valuables.
Residents of the building, located on the west side of Los Angeles, were promised 24-hour security by the homeowners’ association
“That was the first clue,” Brown added. “But we thought we had guards 24 hours a day, things were monitored and it’s all fine.”
One of the intruders, who was wearing a gas mask, was eerily captured on security footage opening the front door of the unit before letting himself in.
He was seen walking slowly through the dark apartment while equipped with a flashlight, apparently looking for things he deemed worth taking.
Carol Fontaine, the building’s homeowners’ association president, was among the victims targeted in the massive robbery.
When she returned to her unit on Friday, she saw a broken front door, a destroyed bedroom and a destroyed closet; her personal belongings were found all over the floor instead of in the areas where she left them.
She said: ‘It’s quite devastating for many of us. 24-hour security was ordered and the outside was patrolled. Then I got a call from the termite company saying there were break-ins. All floors are affected.’
The thieves made off with some of her valuables, including jewelry and ammunition.
Residents wondered how the burglars could have spent so much time stealing and vandalizing their luxury building without anyone noticing.
As of this month, the average rent in Playa Del Rey is $2,461, 58 percent higher than the national average, making it one of the most expensive cities in the United States. Apartments.com reports this.
Carol Fontaine, seen here, the president of the building’s homeowners’ association, was among the victims targeted in the massive robbery
The burglars, who were captured on one unit’s security footage, appeared to be wearing gas masks, leading fearful residents to believe they were either professionals or the crime was an inside job.
The aftermath of the massive robberies included dozens of destroyed front doors around the building
Residents are also now working closely with law enforcement as investigators try to gather evidence in the robberies.
The terrifying burglaries come just five months after another nearby apartment complex was plagued by suspicious fires.
Marina City Club, located in the nearby wealthy community of Marina del Rey, is just a ten-minute drive from where the robberies took place.
The building suffered a series of suspected arsons this summer, making fire trucks and bright flashing lights a common sight for residents.
“We have a fire once a week, and it’s been going on since May,” Teri Hirano, a longtime resident of the building, told NBC Los Angeles in July.
The fires are said to have been caused by the use of toilet paper and other flammable materials.