String of Carlsbad burglaries rally slew of residents, local leaders to talk solutions

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Residents in the North County are raising concerns about a string of burglaries at multi-million-dollar homes.

People from Encinitas to Carlsbad came together to meet with law enforcement after several break-ins were reported in the area; all of them happened in a matter of weeks.

“They went through every single room in the house,” shared one resident who helped organized the safety meeting while showing FOX 5 several photos of her post break-in home. The resident asked our team to withhold her name.

The story behind those photos is what brought a slew of residents together Wednesday as several homes, privacy, and families lie under close surveillance.

“We know they were in our house for about 35 minutes,” the resident said. 

Her home is just one out of five home thefts taking place in the month of December along Acuna Ct., Marmol Ct., and La Costa Avenue.

“They ransacked the office, and they ransacked the master bedroom and the bath and the closet,” she said. 

The burglars broke through the resident’s sliding glass door to enter, and it was sometime between the hours of 4:30 to 7 p.m. when thieves swiped money, to jewelry, along with luxury designer items.

“We take it really personally and seriously,” shared Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn, who was also in attendance. He says the city’s response to these burglaries extend much farther than a mere report, but rather a full-scale investigation. “I know the detectives assigned to this. I would not want to be these burglars.” 

It’s not just Carlsbad, but rather a countywide trend. FOX 5 also obtained video from an Encinitas break-in showcasing thieves rounding a corner of a home dressed head to toe in all black following a similar theft.

“Many times, we have one group, sometimes we have many groups doing the same techniques, shared Capt. Jeffrey Smith with the Carlsbad Police Department.

According to police, the crimes occur in the early evening hours and the homes targeted are usually behind golf courses.

The suspects are also known to break into master bedrooms, on the prowl for high-end items. “They know when you’re not home and they’re utilizing that time to commit their crime,” shared Capt. Smith.

Detectives are still working on identifying those behind the crime.

In the meantime, Carlsbad PD is upping patrol to keep an eye out for any activity. They’re also encouraging residents to invest in surveillance cameras along with preforming the simple task of reporting any out of the ordinary activity.