Thieves target Oak Park

Police are investigating a rash of automobile burglaries and thefts that occurred in Oak Park between Aug. 20 and 27.

Reports show there were 18 incidents including 13 burglaries in which cars were broken into and valuables stolen. There was also one attempted burglary and two thefts from cars that were unlocked.

Two cars were also stolen from the 6300 block of Smoketree Avenue. Both were unlocked with the keys left inside. One was a 1997 Chevrolet Camaro, the other a 2000 Honda Accord.

Break-ins took place on Southridge Drive, Trefoil and Buttonwood avenues and Tamarind, Bayberry and Maplegrove streets.

All the incidents are believed to have occurred between midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capt. Bill Flannigan of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

"Thieves don't want to work hard. They will find areas where the taking is easy, where they can find unlocked vehicles, keys inside and property in view," Flannigan said. "We're going to do everything we possibly can to stop them, but an even bigger responsibility lies with residents to do their part to make Oak Park unattractive to thieves. Until they do that this won't stop."

Flannigan urged residents to make sure vehicles are locked and that purses, briefcases, wallets, keys, electronic equipment and other valuables are removed. He pointed out that people become victims when their cars are broken into and again when their stolen credit cards are used.

Police placed fliers in residents' mailboxes alerting them to the incidents and emphasizing the importance of properly securing vehicles. Despite the fliers, which were distributed Aug. 25, three more automobile burglaries took place the following night.

"We have a deputy out there," Flannigan said, "but Oak Park is a community that is the size of the city of Fillmore, and (the deputy) can't be everywhere at once. If the thieves are just working on one or two streets, he could miss those streets at that particular time."

Police recovered evidence from some of the burglaries, Flannigan said. Similar crimes are occurring in communities throughout Ventura County and are usually conducted by people "seeking to turn stolen property into cash for drugs," Flannigan said.

"Until now, Oak Park has avoided the epidemic because of its remote location, but the thieves are finding a rich feeding ground," he said.

Lara Barrett, who lives on Joshua Street, was recently awakened at 2 a.m. by her dog barking at her secondstory bedroom window. Barrett looked outside and in her driveway saw a man wearing a baseball cap pushing a baby stroller. She yelled at him through the open window, and he ran up the street. She called police, who searched the area but could not find the man.

"Later that morning I saw the baby cart abandoned on Kanan," Barrett said.

The issue was discussed at the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council meeting last week.

"It is always unfortunate when these incidents occur, but residents need to be more proactive when it comes to reducing the temptations to would-be thieves who look for unlocked cars or valuables in plain sight inside cars," said MAC Vice Chair Mike Paule.