Series of ‘Hot Prowl’ Burglaries Strikes Pasadena Neighborhood

[UPDATED] Police are seeking leads in a series of six apparently related home burglaries since Sunday in which homes were ransacked while the residents slept inside in Pasadena’s Washington Park neighborhood.

Eleven cars were also burglarized amid the spate of crimes, according to Pasadena police Lt. William Grisafe.

Three home break-ins were reported on Sunday morning, he said. “Three additional incidents have occurred since then in the same area.”

The burglar appears to be “targeting both vehicles and homes that remain unlocked during the late night-early morning hours and is not deterred by residents who may be inside sleeping,” Grisafe said. “The suspect is known to take purses, vehicle keys, credit cards and any other items of value.”

A 44-year-old woman had a frightening encounter with the burglar about 4:20 a.m. Sunday when she was awakened by the sound of footsteps and found him standing at her bedside in her home in the 1200 block of North Mentor Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Marcia Taglioretti said at the time.

The woman’s screams seemingly scared the man off, she said. The victim was not hurt.

The intruder had ransacked the woman’s car before making his way into the home through an unlocked door, Taglioretti added.

The burglar in the Mentor Avenue break-in was described as a man of unknown race, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, 185 pounds, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants and tennis shoes, police said.

In the other incidents, the intruder was described only as male and wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a COVID-19 mask, Grisafe said..

As police continued gathering clues in the case, Grisafe urged local residents to make sure to lock their homes and cars at night.

“Keep the area around your house well lit and lock access gates leading to the backyard,” he said.

“Do not leave valuable items inside your vehicle. Thieves are less likely to break into a car if there is nothing to steal,” he added.

Grisafe said turning off Bluetooth connectivity on electronic devices when not in use can help deter tech-savvy thieves, who can use the signal to identify what expensive gadgets are nearby.

“If in close proximity, thieves can detect devices using the Bluetooth feature on their smartphones to determine the specific device type,” according to Grisafe.

Anyone with information can reach the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4501. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

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Series of Hot Prowl Burglaries Strike Pasadena Neighborhood