Gardeners make chilling discovery in front of California family’s home after cops warned residents to check their yards

Gardeners in Southern California made a horrifying discovery at a family’s home, just a week after the same strange object was found in another yard.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, gardeners discovered a chilling hidden camera on April 16 while working at a home on 200 Street Via El Encantador.

The recording device was found pointed at the single-family home, hidden beneath a landscaped area of ​​the front yard.

According to police, the animal was covered with camouflage tape and hidden among plants.

Police have urged homeowners to inspect their properties as hidden cameras linked to “burglary tourism” are on the rise in crime-ridden Southern California.

In addition to the camera, other items were also found with the device in April. Police said they are still investigating the discovery.

“The device consists of a battery pack, a power cord and a camera with a memory card. These items were processed as evidence and booked for safekeeping,” said Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office. KTLA5.

“The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office would like the public to be aware of this incident and encourages anyone who finds a similar device to report it to law enforcement immediately,” Zick said.

An image of the devices showed a black handheld camera with a memory card, a large battery and a power cord wrapped in camouflage tape.

A similar hidden camera was found in a bush outside a home on S. Primrose Avenue last Monday evening after an attempted burglary of the home.

A post on social media showed a photo of the device: a camera hidden in a green shell surrounded by leaves.

“Last night your APD responded to a call on the 1900 block of S. Primrose Ave. regarding a report of an attempted burglary,” Alhambra police wrote in a statement last Wednesday announcing no arrests.

The victim’s neighbor found a hidden camera in the bushes pointed at their house.

‘Their alarm company had also notified them of an attempt to open the kitchen window earlier that day.

“Unfortunately, camouflage cameras are used in home burglaries,” the organization continues, which also shared a photo of the camera in question as evidence.

“These cameras are strategically placed in discreet locations, such as bushes, so thieves can gather information about homeowners’ daily routines in order to break in.”

An alarm company alerted the homeowners earlier that day to an attempt to open the kitchen window, a month after four Colombian nationals were arrested for allegedly running a “burglary tourism” ring using camouflage cameras.

That happened in Glendale, a few miles away, as burglary tourism continues to dominate headlines since the pandemic hit, not just in The Golden State, but elsewhere.

In the Glendale case, the four arrested — Bryan Martinez Vargas, 28, Jose Antonio Velasquez, 28, Edison Arley Pinzon Fandino, 27, and Luis Carlos Moreno, 29 — were all Colombians and all advocates of the new trend, police allege.

In this particular incident, the cameras were found before the thieves could gain access.

The camera was found in the bushes and was camouflaged with green to avoid being seen. Who put the camera there and how long it was there is still unknown.

The camera in that case was also found by an observant neighbor, the homeowner told KTLA on May 28.

“Burglary tourism” involves foreigners entering the United States on tourist visas to commit burglaries, reiterated Glendale PD Sgt. Vahe Abramyan last month.

“They commit crimes, use different identities, things like that and eventually they return to their home country.

“Some of these home burglars have been recorded going through second-floor homes,” added Huntington Beach Police Officer Jessica Cuchilla.

‘In these cases, the reason they go in there is because people don’t install alarm systems on their second floor.

According to both officers, the thieves then usually send the stolen items back to their home country or sell the items before leaving.

If you see a suspicious vehicle, take down the license plate number, officers also advised, and make sure your porch and the outside are well lit.

Trees and shrubs also need to be properly pruned, they said, so that they do not become an easy hiding place for thieves.

Installing security cameras is also important, the officer said, as is monitoring them often.

And finally, a broken window or an open door should be a telltale sign to call the police immediately and not even come close to entering.

“Remember that it is important to regularly inspect the exterior of your home for any unfamiliar objects or changes in the yard that could potentially obscure a security camera,” police said in their statement.

‘Be aware of suspicious people knocking on the door. They may be checking to see if anyone is home.’