FOURTH CAT BURGLARY IN BELMONT SHORE/HEIGHTS PROMPTS ANOTHER LBPD WARNING
By LBReport.com
A fourth “cat burglary” (in which a male suspect entered a residence while a woman was home alone) has taken place in the Belmont Shore/Heights area, prompting the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) to issue a second warning:
“Keep doors and windows secured at all time.”
In a release, LBPD says that on Wednesday, September 22, at about 12:30 p.m., “a lone woman in her residence in the area of Broadway and Bayshore Avenue discovered a male suspect had entered her residence and fled when she began yelling. It was determined that the suspect had entered the home through an unlocked door.”
As previously reported by LBReport.com, three similar incidents have recently occurred; the latest one is fourth incident in two months. LBPD’s release says that in each case, “the suspects gained easy access to residences through open doors or windows of women who were alone at the time. When the victims discovered the suspects and yelled and/or screamed, the suspects fled without taking anything or attempting to sexually assault the victims.”
The first two cases occurred in the area of 2nd Street and Termino Avenue. The first incident occurred on Saturday, July 24, 2010, at approximately 7:00 p.m. The suspect was described as a male African-American in his late 20s to early 30s, approximately 5-feet-6 with a stocky build.
The second incident occurred on Saturday, September 4, 2010, at approximately 3:15 a.m. The suspect was described as a male African-American, approximately 30 years old and 5-feet-8 with a medium build and short hair. Based on the physical description and circumstances of the crime, detectives believe these two incidents may be connected.
The third incident occurred on Monday, September 13, 2010, at approximately 1:30 a.m. in the area of 2nd Street and Bayshore Avenue. The suspect in this case was described as a male Hispanic, 30 to 40 years old, 5-feet-6 with a stocky build and brown eyes.
In the fourth case, the suspect was described as a male Hispanic, 25 to 30 years old, 5-feet-8, a stocky build, with a medium complexion and short dark hair. Detectives believe these two incidents may be connected.
7 Comments
“the suspects fled without taking anything”
so…why are we calling them “cat burglaries” if nothing has been taken? i suppose “FOURTH TRESPASSING IN BELMONT SHORE/HEIGHTS PROMPTS ANOTHER LBPD WARNING” lacks zazz.
Mr x: The elements of the crime of burglary are:
1. Entry (of a listed structure, vehicle, aircraft, etc) and
2. Intent to commit theft or any other felony.
There is no requirement that anything actually be removed from the premises, only that intent to do so (or to commit some other felony, such as rape) can be clearly established by the evidence surrounding the crime. (PC 459)
When a person enters an occupied dwelling not his or her own without permission, it is referred to euphemistically, as a “cat burglary,” but in the law is referred to as 1st degree burglary. The rebuttable presumption is that the suspect has done so with the intent to commit theft or some other felony. (PC 460)
1st degree burglary is a felony. All other burglaries are considered “wobblers” that can be prosecuted as either a felony or a misdemeanor.
(PC 461)
Here are some suggestions for helping oneself to avoid becoming a victim of a residential burglary, offered by the California Attorney General’s Office:
http://www.longbeach.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=4721
http://www.longbeach.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=4720
I actually spoke with a LBPB officer who “said without saying” that items were removed from at least one of the homes but that detail hasn’t been released yet.
Executed correctly, cat burglary is the purrrr-fect crime….
Meow!
thanks john and wammy!
I’m no officer, but It seems to me that whoever it is, he’s scouting the area during the day, looking for elderly people outside of their homes, living by themselves, then striking at night. Long Beach should patrol the area during the day to see if there is a common person walking around the streets that matches the description. Whoever it is seems to have an affinity for 2nd street and the elderly, based on the reports.
Funny how these “Cat Burglaries” in the Belmont Shore/BH area prompted the Long Beach Police Department to send out a flyer in the gas bill of the rapist that raped women in Alamitos Beach last year. They did not send out any flyer when those two women were raped last year. Nor did they go door to door to warn people of this rapist in Alamitos Beach. But damn if they didn’t send Police Explorers door to door in BS to warn people that cars were being broken into last year. WTF????? It goes to show you that all areas are not equal when it comes to police concern.