A family in Ventura County is grappling with their sense of security as well as the loss of valuables and precious keepsakes after their home was ransacked by five thieves when most of the family was on a camping trip.
The Jan. 12 break-in, which occurred at around 6:30 p.m. on Butterfield Street in an upscale Camarillo neighborhood, comes on the heels of another home on the street that was recently burglarized.
Home surveillance cameras captured five masked intruders smashing their way into this family’s home, breaking a lock on the back gate and quickly damaging a motion-sensing spotlight as they made their way onto the property.
“They took lots of jewelry, cash, cameras, they took silverware, just easy, little things that were fast to pick up,” the victim, identified only as Aimee, told KTLA’s Chris Wolfe.
Having lived in the community for 18 years, she said she’s never experienced anything like this, adding that the ordeal has been grueling. The burglars, who Aimee described as “thugs,” trashed her entire home in a matter of minutes.
Fortunately, the thieves were out of the house when her 20-year-old son who did not go on the camping trip returned home from the gym.
“You couldn’t even walk on the floor. It was just everywhere,” Aimee recalled. “They took my children’s baby jewelry. They took my father’s special things that are all I have left of him, my grandmother’s things.”
Aimee is working with Camarillo Police and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department but does not expect to be reunited with her beloved keepsakes. She said she’s sharing her story as a warning to other homeowners about the potential dangers out there and the need for maximizing home security measures.
She’s also hoping that sharing the surveillance footage may lead to an arrest in what seems like a growing type of crime in Southern California.
When asked how break-in has impacted her personally, Aimee didn’t hesitate.
“So violated and unsafe,” she said. “I have a really hard time sleeping in my bed. I have a hard time being in my own house.”
Anyone with information about the break-in is urged to contact the Camarillo Police Department or the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.