First published in the Dec. 18 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
Authorities say a man dubbed the “Two O’Clock Rock” burglar, who is wanted in dozens of crimes in the San Fernando Valley in the past year, was the one who smashed the windows of four small Burbank businesses.
The unidentified man is suspected of being involved in more than 60 burglaries in several areas including Van Nuys, North Hollywood, San Fernando and Burbank, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Burbank Police Chief Michael Albanese recently gave a similar description of the burglar believed to be behind the early-morning break-ins at Magnolia Park businesses on Dec. 3.
“The suspect targets businesses during early morning hours, generally between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m,” according to a statement from the LAPD. “He first canvasses a location, then stages rocks in front of the businesses he is about to burglarize.”
The man usually breaks into the target business using a rock and takes money from the cash register, according to police. In some of the robberies, the man has removed the cash register from inside the business.
The suspect was described as about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing between 150 and 180 pounds, with a receding hairline. He frequently wears a dark hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and black shoes, and sometimes wears glasses.
The man has also been seen riding a bicycle or driving an early 2000s dark-colored Nissan Maxima or Sentra.
Burbank community members with information regarding the burglaries can contact the BPD’s investigations division at (818) 238-3210.
— City News Service
contributed to this report.
