Full Notification

A residential burglary recently occurred in the Cameo Highlands Community. 

600 Block of Rockford Rd. (23-1375)
Occurred around approximately: 7:30 p.m. on February 23, 2023
 
While the house was unoccupied, an unknown suspect entered the property from the gulley located behind the residence. The suspect opened the gate on the rear fence and then shattered the master bedroom rear glass slider. The suspect entered the master bedroom and ransacked the bedroom nightstand drawers, bathroom vanity drawers, closet drawers and jewelry box. The suspect then exited the residence through the rear glass slider crawlspace and fled the property by walking through the north breezeway. The suspect left the area in an unknown direction.
 
At some point during the burglary, the alarm was activated, but the incident was not discovered until the morning of February 24, 2023. The incident was reported to police at that time. 

Loss: Unknown.                 
Suspect Info: None available.
 
**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.
• When you get a knock at your door:
  • Never open the door unless you know the person.
  • Acknowledge you’re home without opening the door.
    • If you have a doorbell camera with two-way audio, this is a great time to use this feature (whether you are home or not).
      • If you are not home, use your doorbell camera to speak to the subject and let them know you are not able to come to the door- do not tell them no one is home.
  • If the individual acts suspiciously, call the police department and provide them with a description of the subject and his/her actions.