Tarzana resident stops would-be burglars with a bright flashlight and a paintball gun

A Tarzana resident stopped would-be burglars from breaking into his neighbor's home with his system of surveillance cameras, a bright flashlight and a paintball gun.

Julian Harper-Smith shared video captured Tuesday around 10 p.m. by his CCTV cameras.

He says neighbors weren't too keen on his parked trailer equipped with the cameras to surveil the street, but after last night's scare, he said they're more supportive.

Harper-Smith said he happened to be watching his camera system when noticed a car driving back and forth and saw three people get out of the car, and climb the neighbor's fence in an odd spot. He said he knew something was off.

"I went over there, grabbed my paintball gun and I grabbed a bright flashlight and as I walked out, turned on the flashlight and I must have scared them because it's so bright, and then they all ran back to the car," Harper-Smith said.

"That's when they hopped in the car. I put my flashlight down and gave them a couple of shots in the back of the car, so hopefully, they would not come back."

Harper-Smith said he has dozens of cameras on his property as well, because he's seen intruders coming into his neighborhood on a weekly basis, breaking into mailboxes and cars.

Nearby, an Encino neighborhood has been hit with a string of residential burglaries in July alone.

Harper-Smith said his intention with his crime-fighting methods, is simply to send out the message not to mess with his neighborhood.