Rash Of Burglaries Have Claremont Homeowners On Alert

CLAREMONT (CBSLA.com) — Homeowners are taking extra precautions as burglaries continue throughout Claremont and the surrounding area.

Security camera images of "knock knock burglars" are helping to spread fear in Claremont. Police say the burglars walk up to houses in broad daylight and knock on front doors – and if no one appears to be home, they break in.

"Our friends over by the college got broken into, too," resident Christina Polston said.

Polston lives near Claremont's picturesque village and colleges, a neighborhood that was swarmed by police over the weekend after a report of a break-in.

The suspect in Saturday's break-in tried to escape by running through back yards but was eventually caught with almost $10,000 in stolen items, police said.

The burglaries are an ongoing problem, neighbors said, and the surrounding areas are also coping with similar trends.

"We are always locking our doors and things like that. But maybe taking some extra precautions, especially if you're away – summer is coming up, so a lot of people are going to go on vacation," said Kay Lamar of Claremont.