Stevenson Ranch neighbors claim thieves are using drones to case their homes
After a string of burglaries in their community, Stevenson Ranch neighbors believe a group of thieves are using drones to case their homes.
"They are obviously looking and watching and seeing what we are doing," neighbor Andrew Eliopulos said. "They are pretending to be landscapers. They are pretending to be maintenance people and they are not."
Eliopulos said his home has been broken into twice. Two weeks ago, he noticed a drone following him to the bank. Eliopulos isn't the only one who has spotted the drones.
One of his neighbors, who wanted to remain anonymous, has been following the drones apparently watching and keeping track of his community's movements. He recently followed a drone back to a nearby hotel.
"It seems like they are looking for empty houses and they are using high technology to do so," the man said.
He was one of the three homeowners targeted in the gated community. He said that the thieves stole an entire safe.
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station said they are investigating leads but have not arrested anyone.
"We are all pretty skittish," another victim said. "Everybody is really skittish and uncomfortable."
The woman said burglaries ransacked her room during another rash of break-ins last year.
"They are going in for designer bags and jewelry," she said. "They wiped us out."
The victims believe the burglaries are connected to a South American crime tourism ring. Deputies have not confirmed that assertion.
"It's ridiculous that we are continuously being harassed by people that come here, harass us and then think that they are going to get away with this big heist and they are not," Eliopulos said. "They are just damaging people's property and then just leaving."
Eliopulos and his neighbors do not believe enough has been done to catch the thieves.
More security has been added to the neighborhood, but many have not dropped their guard.
"We are afraid that somebody is going to get hurt because people are not messing around in here," one of the victims said.
Eliopulos said that "someone is going to get hurt" if investigators do not catch the thieves.
"There's enough guns in this neighborhood to start a little army and someone is going to get hurt and I can assure you it is probably not going to be one of my neighbors," Eliopulos said. "We are a tight-knit group. We are watching everybody's back. We are seeing what is going on."
