Exclusive: Security Footage Captures Suspected Cat Burglars In Riverside
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Surveillance video at a Wal-Mart captured a man leaving with bags of goods using what police say was a stolen credit card, ripped off from one of the many Riverside homes recently targeted by a pair of cat burglars.
Authorities say they've received numerous reports that this duo is burglarizing homes in the Canyon Crest area, often while the residents are asleep inside.
"It's extremely frightening when I think about what could've happened," said a Riverside woman whose home was targeted Feb. 12. She asked that she not be identified.
The suspects made off with a 52-inch flat screen TV, her purse, credit cards and computers — all while her children slept soundly upstairs.
"I've thought many times how I would react if somebody was in my house and they were a threat to my children. A mother is like a tiger when it comes to their children and I'm no different," according to the homeowner, who's since added a security alarm, surveillance cameras and a doggie door so her children don't have to open the back door.
"We took our quiet neighborhood for granted and we really need to be a lot more careful," the homeowner said.
Investigators say they're concerned that nighttime burglaries like these have a high potential for violence.
In one instance, a resident woke up during the burglary and chased one of the suspects out of his house, according to Riverside police Sgt. Kevin Townsend.
Police say the suspects are a woman and a man with a tattoo on his right hand. The woman has allegedly used one of the stolen credit cards at shops and gas stations.
Anyone who's seen the suspects in the photos has been asked to contact police at (951) 826-5396 or (951) 826-5375.
