Residents of a Playa del Rey apartment complex are furious after robbers ransacked the building where termite fumigation was being carried out.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the break-ins occurred at Del Rey Plaza on Tuscan Street between Dec. 11 and 13 during the cleanup period.
All residents were evacuated and tents were set up on the premises for fumigation.
The homeowners’ association promised to provide 24-hour security to patrol the property while they were away, but somehow the robbers ransacked 23 of the 39 total units in the building, making off with cash and cash. They fled with jewelry and other valuables. The unit was destroyed and destroyed.
Many victims were targeted by professional criminals, including Carol Fontaine, the building’s HOA president.
Security cameras captured one incident in which an intruder wearing a gas mask opened the front door and began casually searching for valuables.
In December 2024, a suspect wearing a respirator mask was captured on security camera burglarizing a Playa del Rey condominium that had been fumigated for termites. December 2024. The victim’s front door was broken into by the robber. ransacked an apartment complex in Playa del Rey in December 2024. (KTLA) The Del Rey Plaza Condominium building on Tuscan Avenue in Playa Del Rey, California. (KTLA) In December 2024, robbers vandalized and destroyed Carol Fontaine’s room after her Playa del Rey condo was targeted by criminals during fumigation. The Del Rey Plaza Condominium building on Tuscan Avenue in Playa del Rey, California. (KTLA)
Fontaine returned to the ward on Friday to find the front door smashed in, her bedroom and closet completely destroyed and all her belongings thrown on the floor.
“For many of us, this is very devastating,” Fontaine told KTLA’s Chris Wolfe. “A security guard was ordered to patrol the exterior 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Then we received a call from a termite company saying there had been an infestation. All floors were damaged.”
Fontaine said the thieves made off with many valuables, including jewelry and ammunition.
“meanwhile, [fumigation] In the process, several people reported that lights were on in the building even though they had been told to turn off all lights,” resident Lauren Brown said. “That was the first clue. But we thought it would be okay because we had security guards 24 hours a day and we were being watched.”
Many residents are wondering how the robbers were able to enter the building when security guards were reportedly patrolling the building.
“We’ve got 23 doors that have been broken into. There are places that have been looted that you don’t know about,” Brown said. “The cash was gone, the guns were gone. The people here knew what they were doing. They were on respirators. This doesn’t seem organic. Hmm. For me, this is somehow an inside job.”
Affected residents are working closely with law enforcement as investigators gather evidence and identify the suspect.
Victims said they urge those who may have their homes fumigated to take all valuables with them or store them in a safe location away from the vacant property.
Anyone with information about the break-in is asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-527-3247.
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