There were 34 Part I felony crimes reported in Cerritos during this reporting period, an increase of nine from the previous week. The following is a breakdown of crimes by category: one robbery, five residential burglaries, seven grand thefts, 15 vehicle burglaries, and five vehicle thefts. Cerritos Station deputies made one felony arrest, four misdemeanor arrests, two warrant arrests, and issued 52 citations. The Sheriff’s dispatch center also received a total of 110 calls, a decrease from the 2015 weekly average of 246.
Robbery:
17300 block of Carmenita Road (11/23 – Afternoon): The unknown suspect walked into the bank and directly up to an open teller window. The suspect handed the teller a note demanding money. The teller gave the suspect the money in the drawer and the suspect quickly exited the bank and walked down a back alley out of view.
Residential Burglary:
16600 block of Monte Cristo Avenue (11/22-23 – Unknown): The unknown suspect(s) entered the attached garage of the home. It is unknown if anything was stolen.
12500 block of Kenobi Court (11/25 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) attempted to enter the home by shattering a rear door. The home alarm sounded as soon as the door was opened. It appears the alarm scared away the suspect(s) before they made entry into the home.
16800 block of Jeanette Avenue (11/21-27 – Unknown): The unknown suspect(s) entered the home by shattering a rear sliding door. Miscellaneous valuables were stolen.
19300 block of Almadin Avenue (11/24-25 – Unknown): The unknown suspect(s) entered the attached garage of the home via the roll-up garage door. It is unknown how the door was opened. Tools were stolen.
18000 block of Holmes Avenue (11/24 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) entered the home by shattering a rear sliding door. An electronic device was stolen.
Grand Theft:
342 Los Cerritos Center (11/24 – Afternoon): The unknown suspects entered the store, while it was open for business, and stole several clothing items that were on display.
327 Los Cerritos Center (11/24 – Afternoon): The unknown suspect(s) entered the store, while it was open for business, and stole several clothing items that were on display.
11500 block of South Street (11/27 – Evening): The unknown suspects entered the store, while it was open for business, and stole several electronic devices. Store loss prevention officers were able to detain one of the three suspects and recover the stolen items. The suspect was arrested by Cerritos deputies.
11100 block of 183rd Street (11/23 – Evening): The unknown suspect entered the store, while it was open for business, and stole several items. Upon being confronted by store loss prevention officers, the suspect dropped all the items and fled through the parking lot. The suspect got away and all stolen items were recovered.
13300 block of 183rd Street (11/20-23 – Unknown): The unknown suspect(s) stole gas, tires, wheels, bicycles, and a scooter from a locked parking area.
11400 block of South Street (11/29 – Morning): The unknown suspect stole two electronic devices from a woman’s purse and fled in a blue or gray SUV.
100 Los Cerritos Center (11/26 – Evening): The unknown suspect took a cell phone out of the victim’s hand as she was walking through the parking lot. The victim was texting while the theft took place.
Vehicle Burglary:
13800 block of Carnaby Street (11/25 – Morning): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2015 Dodge Challenger by punching the lock on a door. Nothing was stolen.
12700 block of Towne Center Drive (11/27 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2016 Kia Sorento by shattering a window. A purse that was left in plain sight was stolen.
12300 block of Carnaby Street (11/28-29 – Overnight): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2014 Chevrolet 1500 by prying the lock on the truck bed cover. A tool bag was stolen.
278 Los Cerritos Center (11/27 – Morning): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette by shattering a window. Nothing appeared to be stolen.
11100 block of 183rd Street (11/24 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2008 Nissan Altima by shattering a window. A backpack and an electronic device that were left in plain sight were stolen.
11400 block of South Street (11/29 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) entered a Jeep by shattering a window. A purse and a box of pastries that were left in plain sight were stolen.
201 Los Cerritos Center (11/29 – Afternoon): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu by damaging a door lock. A purse and an electronic device that were left in plain sight were stolen.
13400 block of Lucas Place (11/28-29 – Unknown): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2003 Honda Accord and a 1997 Ford Econoline and stole a pack and a set of keys. It is unknown how entry was made into the van but the Accord keys were in the cup holder inside the van which was used to open the trunk of the Accord.
11400 block of South Street (11/29 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2014 Ford Fiesta by shattering the rear window. A purse that was left in plain sight was stolen.
12300 block of Del Amo Boulevard (11/28 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2015 Subaru Crosstrek by shattering a window. A backpack and an electronic device that was left in plain sight were stolen.
19500 block of Nicholas Ave (11/28 – Morning): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2007 BMW 328I by shattering a window. An electronic device that was left in plain sight was stolen.
16400 block of Debra Lane (11/22-23– Overnight): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 1998 Honda Accord by shattering a window. An empty backpack that was left in plain sight was stolen.
11600 block of Jerry Street (11/28 – Morning): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2009 Toyota Camry by shattering a window. Several electronic devices that were in plain sight were stolen.
11900 block of South Street (11/26 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) entered a 2004 Chevrolet Astro and stole a comforter, racket, and gun scope. It is unknown how entry was made.
100 Los Cerritos Center (11/25 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) attempted to enter a 2004 Ford F150. Pry damage was found on one of the vehicle door locks.
Grand Theft Auto:
16200 block of Arthur Street (11/25 – Afternoon): The unknown suspect(s) stole a 1997 Nissan Sentra from the parking lot.
18400 block of Gridley Road (11/23 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) stole a 1997 Honda Civic from the parking lot.
435 Los Cerritos Center (11/29 – Evening): The unknown suspect(s) stole a 2006 Toyota Corolla from the parking lot.
16000 block of Bloomfield Avenue (11/25 – Afternoon): The unknown suspect(s) stole a 1991 Toyota pickup from the parking lot.
19100 block of Bloomfield Avenue (11/23 – Afternoon): The unknown suspect(s) stole a 1997 Nissan Altima from the parking lot.
Simple Prevention Tips
Holiday Shopping is upon us. Keep your purchases safe. As we begin our Holiday shopping and may have gifts and other large purchases in our vehicles, we need to think about theft prevention. Thefts from vehicles are reported to the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station almost every day and it remains one of the most frequently occurring crimes in the United States. Vehicles are easy targets and often contain property that is attractive to thieves. Even the most amateur thief can stroll through residential neighborhoods or parking lots and find plenty of opportunity. Help the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station reduce this crime in our community by taking these simple steps:
1. Never leave your car unlocked or the windows open. Leaving your car unlocked is an open invitation for a thief to help himself. Even leaving your window open a small amount can be enough for a thief to unlock and open your car. Thefts can occur even in the few moments you might be inside a building and your car is not in your view.
2. Never use a Hide-a-Key box on your car. Thieves will look for these. Never leave your home or office keys in your car. The keys, along with any identifying paperwork left in the car, could lead a thief to your home or business.
3. Never leave valuables in clear view. Do not leave purses, cellular phones, backpacks, laptop computers, gym bags, shopping bags, packages, etc. visible from the outside of your vehicle. A thief may not know what is in a bag but will be willing to break a window or door lock to find out. If you must keep property in your vehicle, place it in the trunk so it is not visible to the opportunist. Place it there prior to arriving at your destination so you are not seen putting it away when you arrive.
4. Avoid leaving your car in an under-used or unattended lot. A frequently used lot means more witnesses, so a theft is less likely to occur. If you are parking at night, or will be returning to your car after dark, park in a well-lit area. Stay away from areas that are concealed, obscured or remote.
If you see a suspicious person(s) or activity in your neighborhood or business, call the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station at (562) 860-0044 or 911 immediately.
It’s a good idea to keep the Sheriff’s Station phone number stored in your cell phone for quick reference.
Data being advertised here, occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday, where no overnight parking permits issued. That means that the Cerritos residences could park their cars on the street, without an overnight parking permit.
Would like to know if the auto theft on the streets, increased or decreased during this Thanksgiving holiday from parking permit process.. Since the overnight parking permits policy were initiated in the 1960s, like to see supporting data if this policy is worth the almost $.5M to administer. This department is plagued with in/out employees, so really argue the need for such a program.