SOUTH COUNTY : Residents Warned of Burglary Ring

Police are warning apartment and condominium residents to watch out for a ring of well-dressed burglars who authorities say have committed at least 75 break-ins around South County in recent months, sometimes by posing as real estate salespeople.

At least four men and two women may be involved, authorities said. Irvine police have arrested a Glendale man in connection with the burglaries.

The burglars, often dressed in suits, strike between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., when people are likely to be at work. Their specialty is picking front door locks to gain entrance.

“They walk around the house, acting like real estate agents,” said Mike Welch, an Irvine police investigator. “Because they’re well-dressed, they don’t stand out. They pretend they’re just showing the house.”

Since October, the burglars have targeted Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo and Lake Forest. They seem to hit an area, then move on, said sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Robert Rivas.

Nearly all of the 27 burglaries reported in Aliso Viejo and most of 15 break-ins in Irvine took place before Feb. 1. In the past two months, Rancho Santa Margarita residents have been burglarized 24 times. No break-ins have been reported for the past eight days, however, Rivas said.

“These people like apartments and condominiums where the front doors are significantly recessed so they’re blocked off from view,” Rivas said. “In most instances there are direct signs that they were picked,” such as scratches on the locks, he said.

As she arrived home, one Aliso Viejo woman confronted the burglars as they were carrying away her possessions.

“They told her they were from the IRS, and she just looked at them in shock as they left,” Rivas said. “She went to the phone and called us, but it was too late.”

Sheriff’s investigators and Irvine police say a sufficient number of neighbors have caught glimpses of the burglars to put together a sketchy profile of the ring.

The group has used several cars, including an older-model black Ford Mustang or Mercury Capri, an older green van, a tan van with lettering, a brown hatchback and an older maroon or rust-colored station wagon.

The man arrested Feb. 23 was identified as Francisco Diaz, 40. Welch said investigators found Diaz’s fingerprints in one of the burglarized homes and that he was arrested at his home.

Diaz has a police record that includes several burglaries. He so far has refused to speak with investigators, Welch said. Diaz has been arraigned on burglary charges and is being held in Orange County Jail on $50,000 bail.

Welch advised that homeowners and apartment residents purchase sturdy deadbolt locks. Area locksmiths say that guaranteed pick-proof deadbolt locks can be installed for between $150 and $200.

Better yet, Welch said, people living in apartments or condominiums should get to know others in their buildings.

“Be aware of who your neighbors are and what’s going on,” Welch said. “Be alert for suspicious activities. It’s going to be rare that an appraiser or real estate agent is walking around the house in the middle of the day, particularly in groups of two or three.”

“And don’t be afraid to call the police department,” he said. “We don’t mind.”