Full Notification

A residential burglary recently occurred in the Upper Newport Bay Community. 


2400 Block of Santiago Dr. (22-2271)
Occurred between approximately: 5:00 a.m. on April 2, 2022 and 2:30 p.m. on April 9, 2022

While the victims were away, an unknown suspect accessed the backyard of the property from a neighboring home that was under construction by removing planks from the fence between the properties. The suspect brought a ladder onto the victims’ property and used it to climb to the roof. From the roof, the suspect access the second story balcony leading to the master bedroom. The suspect shattered the sliding glass door leading to the master bedroom to enter the house. Inside, the suspect located a safe mounted to a wall and tore the safe out. The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction.   
 
Loss: Safe, U.S. currency, handbags, jewelry, belts.       
Suspect Info: None available at this time.

**If you see suspicious activity within your neighborhood (especially at a home where you know your neighbors are on vacation, have gone out for the evening, or their home is for sale), please call the Newport Beach Police Department immediately at 949-644-3717**
 
Please review the Home Security Tips below.  We also attached a Home Security Checklist to this notice, so you can print it out and conduct a security assessment on your home to see what security measures you can take to “harden the target”.

Home Security Tips

• Always lock your windows and doors when you go out, even if for only a few minutes. Second story windows & doors should be secured as if they were on the first story.
• Use timers on indoor lamps to give the appearance that you are home. If you’re going out for the evening, leave a television or a radio on in the home. 
• If your home is equipped with an alarm, always activate it even if you’re only going out for a short walk.
  • Consider adding a motion sensor in your master bedroom/bathroom, which will activate the alarm if someone comes in through a glass window or door without opening it.
• Always keep your front and rear porch lights on from dusk to dawn and use motion detector lighting along the sides of your home or areas with little foot traffic.
• Make sure your utility box is secured with a padlock.
• Adjust window coverings for optimal privacy while maintaining good visibility outside.
• Assess whether or not a window can be easily accessed from a tree, balcony, roof, wall, or with patio furniture and adjust your security plan accordingly. Ladders should be stored inside or locked to a stationary object.
• If your garage door has a remote shutoff button on the wall-mounted control, located in the garage, consider locking the door nightly. This will prevent your garage door from being opened remotely.
• If you have a safe, make sure that it is properly bolted to concrete so that it cannot be easily removed.
• Always close and lock your safe and never leave a key or combination out or in an easy to find location (i.e. office, nightstand, etc).
• If you return home and find your pedestrian door that leads into your home locked, and you are certain that you left it unlocked, DO NOT GO INSIDE! Call 9-1-1 ~ Burglars often lock this door to slow down a victim, allowing the burglar extra time to get out of the home before the resident enters.
• When you leave on vacation, remember to call the Police Department for a “Vacation Check” at 949-644-3681. Also, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your newspaper and mail while you are away.