Newport gated community sees multiple burglaries

More than $2,000 worth of property was stolen after four cars in a gated Newport Beach community were broken into late Tuesday or early Wednesday, police said.

In every incident, someone smashed a window to get inside the vehicles, parked at Ridge Park Road and Ziani in Newport Coast, according to police.

Electronics, jewelry, a backpack, a passport and other miscellaneous items worth $2,526 were taken from three of the four vehicles, police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said.

Police don’t know what was used to break the windows and have not identified any suspects.

All of the burglaries took place between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday, Manzella said.

The Newport Beach Police Department has been trying to educate residents on how to keep their cars from becoming burglary targets.

In this case, Manzella said, residents made the error of leaving items visible in the cars though they had the good judgment to lock the doors.

Because the suspect or suspects had to smash windows to get into the cars instead of just opening an unlocked door, the charges would be more serious, Manzella said.

“They’ll be facing felony burglary instead of misdemeanor theft,” she said.
— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck