Over the last year, more than half a dozen break-ins have Irvine residents on edge after a series of sophisticated burglaries in gated communities, with some homes being watched by hidden cameras.
Irvine police said the latest theft occurred on Saturday at the Turtle Rock community, but they have been going on in other areas all year.
Neighbors living at The Groves at Orchard Hills said the suspects pried their way into a house with a crowbar after climbing onto the second floor.
“Everyone is very shaken up. Even if you were not a victim of these crimes you feel victimized being in the community,” one resident anonymously said. “You feel very unsafe right now, and everybody is very on edge.”
Jewelry, handbags, money, firearms and even a safe were among the items taken during eight burglaries this year.
“We have thrown everything at this issue. This is not an Orchard Hills issue, it’s a California issue,” Irvine Police Sgt. Karie Davies said. “A lot of high-end communities are experiencing the same organized transnational groups that are coming in and they’re primarily targeting homes that are on hillsides and back up to green belts.”