Police warn of burglar targeting senior citizens in Monterey Park

MONTEREY PARK -- Police alerted the public Tuesday about a man who broke into two apartments at senior citizens' facilities last week.
The break-ins were reported Thursday afternoon at senior citizens' homes in the 200 block of North Chandler Avenue, and about a quarter-mile away in the 900 block of West Garvey Avenue, Monterey Park police Lt. Carrie Mazeline said.
The first incident was believed to have occurred between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Chandler Avenue residence, police said.
"The senior walked into his apartment and did not lock the door behind him," Monterey Park police said in a written statement.
"The suspect followed the victim into his home and said something to the victim in English. The victim did not speak any English but assumed the suspect wanted to check the electricity because he was pointing at the lights," according to the statement.
The victim thought the suspect looked "professional," so he allowed the man to remain inside his home, Mazeline said. He later discovered his wallet and other items missing and called police the next day.
The same burglar is believed to be responsible for a second break-in immediately after, Mazeline said.
Sometime between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., a woman ran into the same man as she was leaving her home, police said.
"She had a (brief) conversation with him," Mazeline said. The woman left without giving the man permission to enter his home.
When she returned, she found her apartment broken into and item such as jewelry and other small valuable missing, Mazeline said.
In both cases, the victims primarily spoke Chinese, police said.
The same man was captured on surveillance video at the scenes of both burglaries, police said.
He was described as a white man in his mid- to late-40s, about 5-feet 8-inches tall and 175 to 190 pounds. He had black hair with some graying, and he wore a blue a white checkered shirt and blue jeans.
Anyone with information, or anyone who sees a suspicious person loitering in a senior citizens' apartment complex, is asked to call Monterey Park police at 626-573-1311.

SURVEILLANCE photo courtesy of the Monterey Park Police Department.