Officers focus on upswing in comm'l burglaries

A string of 10 commercial burglaries in Fallbrook, from June 12 to July 27, has law enforcement officers putting forth a concerted effort to find the individual(s) responsible for the crimes.

On Friday, August 1, Sheriff’s Department Detective Jeff Lauhon reported that the series of burglaries are similar in nature, lending credence to the theory that one person may be responsible for many or all of the incidences.

“They are very close in nature,” Lauhon said. “It’s the beginning of a series – not what we’d call an epidemic, but our goal is not to let it get to that point.”

The burglaries have occurred at businesses located on a variety of streets and roadways around town, including South Mission Road, Hawthorne Street, North Vine Street and Old Highway 395.

“Seven out of the 10 were in the downtown business district,” Lauhon said. “The other three were scattered around the perimeter of town.”

Lauhon said the perpetrator is gaining entry to the businesses primarily through windows, some of which have been left unlocked. In other cases, windows have been broken to gain access.

“Access has been through prying windows open, breaking windows, entering through unlocked windows, removing windows and, in one case, removing a window air conditioner,” Lauhon said.

Lauhon said the perpetrator appears to be interested in cash only and the detective advises business owners to take precautions with their cash registers.

“The best advice I can give a business owner is to clear out the cash register before closing each day,” Lauhon said. “It is also best to leave the [cash register] drawer open so someone can see it is empty.”

In some cases, Lauhon said, the perpetrator has stolen the entire cash register if they have been unable to open it to see what cash is inside.

In addition, Lauhon said business owners should install motion detector lights on the exterior of their building. Alarms are also an added benefit.

“I would never discourage someone from installing a burglar alarm with a loud alarm that is monitored by a company that contacts the Sheriff’s Department,” Lauhon said. “Business owners should never cancel the [Sheriff’s Department] call if their alarm company calls them.”

Members of the Fallbrook community can also support law enforcement’s effort to solve the crimes by being proactive about reporting suspicious activity.

“Keep your eyes peeled <and your> ears open. If you see strange people walking around, give us a call. We’ll check it out,” Lauhon said.

He said deputies working night shifts have stepped up patrols and are being proactive about contacting people who are “roaming around.”

Earlier this year, Detective Jeff Lauhon led the effort in arresting a young Marine who was charged with 18 commercial burglaries out of a series of 28 that occurred in January and February.

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