CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Thief Enters Home, Speaks to Unaware Victim

A man walked through an unlocked front door of a Fernleaf Avenue home while the resident was on an upstairs balcony, unaware that a thief was there until after the fact, police said.

The woman even had a brief conversation with the man after he’d stolen cash from a wallet, police said. The man left the home and called up to her and said, “Excuse me, is this where the open house is?”

The victim told the suspect to try down the street, and the man left, police said.

The incident occurred at 1:36 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of Fernleaf Avenue. After the man left, a neighbor told the victim that he had been inside the house. The woman went downstairs and discovered her wallet had been taken from her purse. The man took an undisclosed amount of cash and left the wallet behind, police said.

Police say the man was black, about 50 years old, six feet tall and 185 pounds with a thin build and black hair. He was wearing a dark jacket and seen getting into an older model, rusty blue Toyota Camry, driven by a man with short hair, police said.

Police urge residents to call (949) 644-3717 if they notice anyone suspicious in their neighborhoods. They also urge residents to keep doors locked, even if they are home, and never to open the door to a stranger.

Burglars look for empty homes and often check to see if you’re home by knocking on the door, said Andrea Querry a Newport Beach Police Department crime prevention specialist.

She said you should never open the door if you do not know the person knocking, to install and use a peephole with a minimum 190-degree view, try to have a phone in hand when you answer the door, and to let the person know you are home without opening the door.

If a person acts suspiciously, call police with a description, she said.