By Mary O’KEEFE

Glendale police are advising residents to be alert and contact law enforcement if they see anyone suspicious in their neighborhood after two suspected Knock-Knock burglaries occurred in the area.

From the end of December to the first week of January, far north Glendale had three incidents of burglary and one incident of suspicious activity that appeared to be related. The incidents occurred in the general area of Foothill Boulevard to Markridge Road, between Lowell and Lauderdale avenues.

On Jan. 3 at about 2 p.m. police responded to a call in the 3700 block of Pontiac Street concerning a burglary in progress. When they arrived, the resident reported that she had heard someone knocking at her front door.

She didn’t answer the door but stayed in her bedroom. A short time later, she heard someone kick in her back door, said Sgt, Tom Lorenz.

The suspects entered her home and she called police who arrived shortly thereafter. For some reason, the suspects fled the home before police arrived.

Nothing appeared to be stolen from the home.

A similar incident occurred yesterday Jan. 3 nearby in the 4900 block of Dunsmore Avenue.

The descriptions of the suspects are the same in both the Pontiac Street and Dunsmore Avenue incidents: The first suspect is described as a black male, heavy-set and muscular, he was wearing a black printed shirt and dark pants. The second suspect was described as a black female, short and weighing 150 pounds. She was wearing orange pants. Witnesses saw a gray vehicle in the area.

Two of the incidents occurred between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The third incident was a vehicle burglary that occurred during the nighttime hours.

The incident of suspicious activity involved a woman and man who knocked on a resident’s door and asked if “Donna” was living there, according to Officer Abe Chung.

The suspects appear to operate by knocking on the resident’s door to see if anyone is home. When no one answers, they often go to the back of the home and break in. They are referred to as Knock-Knock burglaries and have happened in Crescenta Valley and La Cañada Flintridge in the past.

Lorenz reminds residents that if they hear a knock on the door and see someone suspicious to call 911. If it appears that no one is home, the suspects will take advantage of the situation. It is better not to ignore a knock on the door.

“Just please call us,” said Sgt. Debra Herman.

She added that the so-called Knock-Knock burglaries do happen in the sheriff’s area and that many times residents decide not to call due to their perception that they are bothering the sheriffs with something that may not be important.

“They are not bothering us,” she added. “We want [residents] to call.”

Another issue in the area is people, usually young adults, who go door-to-door selling magazine subscriptions. There have been numerous complaints reported by those residents who paid for subscriptions through certain companies and never received the product. In addition, some of those who are selling subscriptions have criminal backgrounds. In March of last year, GPD arrested three men who were found to be soliciting for magazine subscriptions, which is illegal in Glendale without a permit. During the arrest process, the Glendale officer found one of the men had given false identification and was actually on parole for robbery and had a warrant in his name out of San Jose, Calif.

On Monday, suspects who were soliciting magazine subscriptions were arrested in La Cañada Flintridge.

“The city has an ordinance against soliciting,” Herman said.

The bottom line in these two types of crimes, as well as any suspicious behavior in the area, is to call law enforcement immediately.

In several crime reports taken from the CV Sheriff’s Station and Glendale Police Dept., residents reported burglaries, someone at their door, or suspicious behavior like a car cruising up and down their neighborhood long after the incident occurred. In some cases, a family member, neighbor or housekeeper will notify a resident of a burglary and yet the resident does not call law enforcement until later that day when they arrive home.

Police and deputies are patrolling neighborhoods but need help from community members.

“If [residents] see someone or something suspicious, they should call the police,” Lorenz said.

  Mary Okeefe