Police say gangs of burglars are literally installing cameras in Southern California backyards to spy on residents, Press Enterprise reports

This device, equipped with a cable to connect to a computer, was found in May 2024 in a flowerpot in front of a Temecula resident’s house near a camera to which leaves were taped. Law enforcement officials say gangs of South American burglars are placing cameras in backyards to record residents’ movements. (courtesy photo)

This month, a Temecula electrician was left scratching his head when he discovered two devices, including a camera with a lens sticking through a leaf stuck to it, hidden in a flowerpot in his front yard. The camera was pointed towards the neighbor’s house.

“Why is this here?” – said the man who, fearing for his safety, refused to provide further information about himself. “What is the target? Is it here for a kidnapping? Is it here for a home invasion?”

In a neighboring county, Chino Hills, a systems analyst at Pomona Hospital was surprised to learn that his house was in the field of view of a camera placed at the base of a tree across the street and pointed toward his neighbor’s house.

“It’s a little weird,” admitted Steve Hippler, 69, who has lived in his Glen Ridge Drive home for 38 years. “I don’t understand the purpose.”

But the Glendale police did.

Detectives there believe so-called South American burglars are smuggling recording devices into the vegetation around homes throughout Southern California to track the movements of residents of specific homes and determine the best time to break in.

It is unclear how many cameras have been installed because reports of discoveries to law enforcement are sparse, although an Orange County sheriff’s official said there are several active cases there.

Glendale detectives began hearing about this tactic in December, said Sgt. Vahe Abramyan, police spokesman.

“They use these sophisticated devices to gain access to homes,” Abramyan said. “The purpose of the cameras is to place them in the bushes and trees right next to the property they are interested in, and from the footage they will be able to see the behavior of the house – who lives in it, who comes in and out, what happens during the day. This way they can focus their attention on the period when no one is at home.”

Glendale police believe they solved the mystery when, on May 20, a sergeant on patrol as part of a 2023 burglary task force formed due to an increase in burglaries stopped a car with its headlights off as it was leaving a cul-de-sac around 10 a.m. :30:30 Officers detained four Colombians and found an image recording device and battery charging system camouflaged with leaves, a police news release said.

According to the release, one of the men was arrested on April 30 after a chase during which the suspects threw a Wi-Fi signal jammer used to disable home security systems out of a car window.

Abramyan said these gangs enter the United States on tourist visas.

“Of course they don’t come here as tourists. They come here to break into houses,” Abramyan said.

He added that thieves usually rob homes in wealthier neighborhoods.

Hippler’s Chino Hills neighborhood has older, solid, middle-class homes, which made him wonder why his was apparently targeted.

“There are dozens of more affluent houses a block away,” Hippler said, pointing up the hill. “Everything on this street is like a damn mansion compared to this place.”

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the case, discussed the crimes with Glendale police to find out if they were related, spokeswoman Gloria Huerta said.

“We have not identified the individual or the motive,” Huerta said, adding that her department had not received additional reports of similar circumstances.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed an investigation into the discovery of a camera by a Temecula resident, which attracted the bomb squad because the second device was wrapped in black tape and had wires sticking out of it. Investigators determined it was not dangerous.

Sgt. Deirdre Vickers, a sheriff’s spokeswoman, wouldn’t say whether her department compares notes with other agencies.

“Unfortunately, the release of any information could jeopardize the investigation,” Vickers said.

Police in the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside and several OC cities said they had not received reports of hidden cameras.

In Santa Ana, someone who was following a business owner placed a camera in a tree near his home. The burglars went directly to the victim’s bedroom, where they stole jewelry and other valuables worth an estimated $300,000, said Officer Natalie Garcia, a spokeswoman for the Police Department.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has had cases in which suspects set up cameras or were caught on camera before or after committing home invasions, but declined to provide further details, including how many cases or cities were involved, because the cases were still pending. it’s pending in court, said Sgt. Matt Parrish, department spokesman.

In March, police in Irvine arrested three men from Chile who were suspected of robbing homes. It is not known whether cameras were involved in the incident.

Abramyan, Glendale’s sergeant, urged residents to be extra vigilant of their surroundings.

“If you have yards, go through them to make sure nothing is hidden,” he said.

Residents of the Temecula neighborhood have already taken these words to heart.

“Everyone I talked to said, ‘I read it on Facebook and ran to the garden,’” he said. “There is a new kind of threat that we didn’t know existed.”

Staff writer Nathaniel Percy contributed to this report.