{"id":294346,"date":"2010-10-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-10-21T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/burglars-target-tented-homes\/"},"modified":"2010-10-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-10-21T07:00:00","slug":"burglars-target-tented-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/burglars-target-tented-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"Burglars target tented homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s bad enough having a termite infestation, but another concern has come up for those treating their homes for wood-damaging pests \u2014 burglary. Over the last month, there have been at least three break-ins in the Bird Rock area in which victims were undergoing termite tenting. During this process, a structure is completely covered with a nylon tent and then filled with a poisonous gas to eradicate the insects. There have been at least six fumigation-related burglaries since May, officials said, and all of the incidents took place in the neighborhoods surrounding La Jolla Boulevard, between Mission Boulevard and Nautilus Street. Chris Luce, the San Diego Police Department detective handling the cases, said it\u2019s likely that burglars are entering houses with breathing apparatuses of some sort during the fumigation. A tent over the house is an obvious indication that there\u2019s nobody home. “If they spent any time in there without a gas mask they\u2019d probably be very ill, if not dead,” Luce said. Luce has been spending full days going door-to-door in the area to warn households that are scheduled to have their homes fumigated. Local pest control companies are working with him to supply client information. Removing valuables or putting important items in a safe are among Luce\u2019s recommendations. He said the problem is not just happening in Bird Rock \u2014 it\u2019s an increasing and reoccurring problem throughout the county. In Coronado, there recently was a string of string on about five similar reported incidents in a very short time, Luce said. Joe Parker, president of the Bird Rock Community Council, is collaborating with a detective in the San Diego County Sheriff\u2019s Department to combat the problem through awareness. “The best thing for residents to do is let neighbors know when they are having their house tented and call the police if they see anyone who doesn\u2019t belong there,” Parker said. Mike Lawson, owner of La Jolla Termite and Pest Control, suggested hiring a security guard to watch over the home for the duration of the fumigation. “That way at least you have a fighting chance of scaring someone off,” said Lawson, whose company double-locks all doors during the process. But, he said, “if a burglar wants to get in, they\u2019ll get in through a window.” “At least in Bird Rock you have a lot of neighbor awareness,” Lawson said. Lt. Jim Filley, who oversees the San Diego Police Department Northern Division, said some pest control companies deploy pepper spray in homes to deter burglars because the fumigation chemical is odorless. Fumigation-related burglaries have been a city-wide problem for “quite some time,” he said. But he stressed, “if it\u2019s predictable, it\u2019s preventable.”