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Skateboarders Burglarize Cars In San Pedro

SAN PEDRO (CBSLA) — Some skateboarders in San Pedro were performing tricks -- illegal tricks.

As a community in San Pedro slept, police say three skateboarders tried to get into their unlocked cars near Capitol Drive and Barrywood Avenue.

"They were hitting every house down the street. They were caught on video," said Melanie Labrecque.

In one video, the first suspect rolls in and starts trying the handles. Then a second skater comes into the picture across the street and does the same.  Soon, a third enters. He's believed to be the lookout.

The LAPD believes the trio is behind at least four car burglaries and many more attempts between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.  Detectives say they also broke into a garage.

"When all this started coming up, I started checking my footage and found that my cars, they tried to get in both my cars very aggressively and couldn't," said Labrecque.

Labrecque is the coordinator for the Taper and Harbor Highlands Neighborhood Watch.  She said when neighbors started talking, they discovered many of them had been hit.  So they took their security videos to police.

"We are a neighborhood that's tired of this, we are taking back our neighborhood, we've been hit hard," said Labrecque.

Jimmy Hollerbach says the skaters tried to get into his car and his wife's but both were locked. He's shocked that the suspects look so young.

"What really struck me was just how relaxed they were about the whole thing, like it was just normal behavior," said Hollerbach.

"We will catch you, you will be prosecuted, bottom line," said Labrecque.

Anyone with information should contact Det. Thomas Baran from LAPD's Harbor Division at (310) 726-7856 or 36364@lapd.online.

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