POINT LOMA - A thief ‘s shopping spree inside a Point Loma home’s garage is sparking concerns of a possible ‘alley bandit.’
Recently, the neighborhood quiet has given wa to the sound of traffic on the backside of Del Mar Avenue.
“There are a lot of drive-bys in the alley,” Mike Truesdell said
Truesdell believes on Friday night, someone driving in this alley decided to stop and raid his garage.
“First thing you notice is the door is open. The door is never open,” Truesdell said.
He found the open door the next day.
Two bikes, including a custom Rat Fink bike, were gone, along with a surfboard.
Truesdell said the thief also took a gas leaf blower, some hand tools, and an air compressor.
And in the back of the garage, a chandelier still wrapped in the box was also missing.
“A little bit of anger. A little bit of anger,” Truesdell said.
In all, the loss totaled more than $3,000.
The theft unfolded while Truesdell and his wife were in the house.
“That's a violation of my privacy. Don’t know how to describe it,” Truesdell said.
It's unlikely, but he says the garage door could have been stuck halfway, allowing someone to get in. Another possibily: the intruder could have somehow climbed a 6-foot wall, then walked through a garage door from the back yard.
“It wasn’t locked. Now it’s always locked,” Truesdell said.
The MO is a familiar one.
On the app Nextdoor, there are reports of other thefts in the same alley.
Another neighbor reporting 5 other break-ins of alley facing garages a month ago.
“Make sure your garage doors are down. Be vigilant. Be cognizant of people wandering those back alleys,” Truesdell said.
