Chilean break-in crew is back, and burglaries are on the rise in La Jolla

San Diego police say the number of break-ins is going up in La Jolla.

Six homes were hit since November, and police don’t expect this gang to stop any time soon.

Burglars caught on camera at a La Jolla home in November 2021 are thought to be members of the same Chilean organized crime syndicate. They seem to vanish from wealthy homes and communities like ghosts.

SDPD Lt. Bryan Brecht said the same Chilean gang has targeted their community for more than two years, following a pattern that is difficult to police.

“They come here for a few months," Brecht said. "They engage in this activity, and they travel around the country. If folks do get arrested, history shows, they just bring in more folks behind them."

The thieves look for greenbelt areas like Calle Del Oro, basically a hillside covered in brush and trees that is used for cover to go in behind a house. They wait until after dark when residents aren’t around, break in, then take only what they can carry and are gone in less than  10 minutes.

One of those recent burglaries happened in the 2500 block of Calle Del Oro, in fact.

“We certainly have cameras,“ resident Richard Steness said. "We have a Ring. We got a regular camera so you can record."

Steness' home wasn't targeted but the neighbor three doors down was. It’s had a chilling effect. He bought some pet protection.

“This is a German shepherd attack dog, and it has a little thing across his back that says, 'Don’t pet me,' ” Steness said.

Police said the thieves know what to look for, where to go and when to go in. The latest round of break-ins all occurred on Tuesdays,  Fridays and Saturdays, a phenomenon police can’t explain.

“They definitely have things they are looking for specifically," Brecht said. "They are: jewelry, cash, high-end clothing and handbags."

The burglars avoid encounters with homeowners, so your best defense is hitting them where they are vulnerable, Brecht said.

“Alarms are great," Brecht said. "Activate them. Lighting for the evening hours. Motion-sensor lighting and glass-break alarms are also good."

Six burglaries in half as many months is a discouraging statistic for homeowners like Steness.

“The only thing that is going to stop it is the dog or increasing penalties,“ Steness said.

San Diego police have responded by adding extra patrols and canvassing the neighborhoods with informational flyers.