Breaking Down the Break-Ins

By Joanne A Calitri   |   May 6, 2025

The Montecito Association hosted a Community Safety Town Hall for all residents and businesses in Montecito on Tuesday, April 22, at the All Saints-by-the-Sea community hall. Moderating the meeting was MA Executive Director Houghton Hyatt

Present were MA Board President Doug Black and MA Board Members; SBC 1st District Supervisor Roy Lee and his Deputy Chief Aida Thau;Montecito residents and other interested parties.

Jillian Wittman from the MA Safety Subcommittee reported that the Sheriff’s Department Montecito Substation on San Ysidro Road, which will significantly decrease  response time, is going forward. She said the MA has received a $30,000 grant from the Montecito Community Foundation which will cover the necessary IT, computers, and equipment they need. 

The Town Hall panel for safety were Birnam WoodHead of Security Nicole Landon, CalCoast Glass Tinting, Inc. owner Doreen Eyman and their Director of Sales Nathan Ponder, Co-owner of Post Alarm Systems Gina Post-Franco with her salesman Rob, and Sgt. Ben Sandu from the SBC Sheriff’s Office.

Post-Franco provided background on Post Alarm systems, a third-generation family-owned business since 1956, whose grandfather Sam Post was a Chief of Police and started the company when he retired. Their Carpinteria office serves Montecito. They have clients from Beverly Hills and Southern California through Montecito. Rob reviewed the varied services the company provides – including their proactive video surveillance with a real person via audio to warn intruders that they are being video recorded and police are on the way; a vehicle Patrol Service with armed officers in highly marked cars that are equipped with video and direct lines to first responders and police departments; and other alarm system details, including partnerships with security window film companies for break-in prevention.

Nathan Ponder reviewed the use of security film on glass with a video demonstrating how it works. Eyman drove the point home by stating that their current window film products allow a sheet of glass to withstand 6 to 8 minutes of repeated strikes with any instrument or gun, thereby deterring criminals from entering. The products are 3M certified with a range of film colors. They have installed the film on the windows of the SB Unified Public Schools, SB City College and other schools to protect the schools from the current uptick of crime. Post Alarms serves Orange County, Los Angeles County, and SB County. Ponder encouraged people to have a designated safe room in their home and to do a layered approach to safety.

Birnam Wood Head of Security Nicole Landon shared that her father is a retired Fire Chief, and that she was previously employed for ten years in aerospace security. She reviewed the crimes at Birnam Wood and the issues faced by a gated community, such as more incoming and outgoing vehicles than single resident homes. Equipment she uses at Birnam Wood are video surveillance with AI analytics to detect human form, and LPRs (license plate readers). Her team are EMT-certified and equipped with TASER guns. She reminded attendees many times that the culture has long since changed from leaving your doors unlocked to being vigilant, proactive, being connected to your surrounding neighbors, and staying focused and alert.

As Hyatt started to open up the Q&A, she was interrupted by many attendees who said that they were present to hear about all crimes in the area (in addition to those reported in the Montecito Journal). and how they can best protect themselves, 

Sgt. Sandu was introduced to address their concerns. He explained that the recent crime is from the South American Theft Groups, aka SATG, who target U.S. residents’ homes. Sandu, “Their modus operandi seems to be the same wherever they operate. Usually, they will enter homes between 5:30-8:30 pm – dinner time, virtually always a vacant house. Items of interest are jewelry, watches they can put on their wrist, and safes. The thieves do extensive surveillance to establish your movement patterns into and out of the house, so that no one is home when they break in. They usually enter through the backyard by breaking a window, and leave through a house door. They go to the primary bedroom and are in and out in 2 to 3 minutes. They use alarm signal jammers, and we’ve found gaming cameras in yards to track when you come and go. I’m not ruling out the possibility that homeowners’ employees may be feeding the thieves information, because these robberies are so successful. But these perpetrators are taking quite a few steps to enter homes that are not occupied – they don’t want to be detected. Window punches can be bought online or one can use a spark plug to break a window. We know of law enforcement in Illinois who apprehended suspects there, and those suspects had information on a house in Montecito. Information can be found on Zillow about your house floor plan, and Google Maps can display the trails around your house. They can approach your most faithful dog with a peanut butter sandwich, and the dogs will become friendly. There have been 12 burglaries in Montecito from January through March, and we have caught some of the criminals.”

An attendee stood up saying that, “Yes, my house was burglarized four weeks ago, and what he just described is exactly that. It was shown that four people came in, determined by the police taking DNA from fingerprints at the scene.”

Landon added, “They are very bold and go to great lengths to get in – climbing over barbed wire, for instance – and wait till people leave to go to dinner. They can get a backpack and go over the fence, rob a few homes and be out in less than 30 minutes.” Another attendee asked, “If the gang enters my home, what happens if I shoot them?” Sgt. Sandu replied, “You have a right to self-defense.”

After all questions were addressed, Hyatt adjourned the meeting and thanked everyone for attending.

411: www.montecitoassociation.org

 

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