Westside residents frustrated after numerous vehicle break-ins

There’s frustration among residents on the westside after several vehicles were broken into early Thursday morning.

Numerous break-ins occurred in the Playa Del Rey neighborhood. Trent Marlow was one of the victims. His car was broken into by the thief. Marlow says at least five other vehicles were targeted in the area.

“I don’t know what they were looking for,” Marlow told KTLA 5’s Sandra Mitchell. “I didn’t have any valuables in my car, so they didn’t get anything.”

There were many surveillance cameras in the area that captured the suspect at work. The individual uses a small hammer-like tool and a flashlight to gain entry into the vehicles. Steve Ross’s car was also targeted, but the alarm on his vehicle wasn’t triggered.

“They break the window, but it stays intact,” he said. “And they’ll place it somewhere and there’s no alarm.”

Video obtained by KTLA showed the suspect gaining access to the inside of the vehicles and searching for valuables. The victims who spoke with KTLA said nothing was missing from their cars.

Property crime in Los Angeles increased by 3.5% last year, while the total number of thefts went up by 16% from 2022 to 2023. Although nothing was stolen, Ross says he’s growing tired of dealing with crime in the area.

“Crime has gone up, arrests and convictions have gone down,” he said. “It’s just a sad fact.”