Burglary team targeting L.A.’s richest

LOS ANGELES – A skilled burglary crew has targeted the homes of corporate titans, celebrities and sports stars in some of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods over the last year, making off with more than $7 million in cash, rare books and jewelry while leaving few clues.

Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Kenneth Garner said the crew of two or three men clad in black with ski masks and gloves target large-scale homes in areas such as Bel-Air, Holmby Hills and Encino, usually in the evenings and often on weekends. They evade security systems, ignore security cameras and even sometimes take entire safes, he said.

Police did not release the names of victims. But two sources with knowledge of the investigation said they included an NBA player, an Oscar-winning director and a former studio chief.

“They target as many people of noncelebrity status as celebrities … It is a target-rich environment in the hills, and these guys know it and know the homes and area,” said Lt. Ray Lombardo, head of West L.A. detectives, who is leading a task force pursuing the burglars. “I hate to call them it, but they are professionals. They aren’t opportunists. But sooner or later the bad guys slip up.”

That apparently happened at an Encino estate where a security camera facing the street caught a brief glimpse of two muscular, 200-pound-plus men without their masks, police said.

So far detectives say they are unaware of any of the stolen jewelry – some pieces worth more than $500,000 – appearing on the market. The burglars have been so careful that they’ve not left a single print or even anything that could be tested for DNA.