The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has released photos of three people it believes have been involved in a recent rash of burglaries targeting businesses.
Since October, there has been a trend of thieves breaking into businesses late at night and stealing primarily Apple computers and laptops, police said. The crimes have occurred in Ventura, Santa Barbara and northern Los Angeles counties.
The people in the photos appear to be Hispanic males in their 20s.
One of the investigators on the case, Sgt. Jason Robarts of the Thousand Oaks Police Department, said he hopes someone will identify the individuals in the photos.
“We’re putting it out there in the news and on TV and hope people can help,” he said. “I’m already getting calls.”
Robarts said he believes the men in the photos may be the thieves who hit public relations firm Mustang Marketing twice in November. The company is based in Newbury Park.
The police department asks anyone with information about the crimes or the people in the photos to call Robarts at (805) 947-8108 or send an email to jason.robarts@ventura.org.
To deter computer theft, Robarts suggested, lock laptop computers away in drawers or closets at the end of the day. Some businesses even bolt their computers to desks, he said.
Alarms, especially those linked to a security firm that will alert the police, help to scare thieves away and to speed police response time. And finally, strategically placed cameras can be invaluable in catching the criminals, Robarts said, adding that the police department is willing to advise business owners about the best places to put the cameras.
“Touch base with the sheriff’s department about where to place the cameras,” he said. Sometimes business owners with good intentions have incorrectly aimed cameras that end up not being very helpful, he said.
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