$6,000 In Jewelry Taken By Clever Thousand Oaks Burglar

Monday March 31, 2025

     The Ventura County Sheriff's Office says that a commercial burglary suspect got clever and it paid off, at least for now.

     They say that deputies responded to the JC Penney store at the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks around 6 AM Monday after getting a report of a  burglary at the store.

     Sheriff's Captain Nick Odenath told KVTA News that the investigation revealed that the suspect apparently hid out in the store before closing Sunday night.

     Then, after employees had left for the night, the burglar went about stealing $6,000 worth of jewelry before leaving through an emergency door.

     That triggered an alarm that alerted responsible parties but the suspect was gone by the time they discovered what had happened and called the sheriff's office.

     The crime was captured on surveillance video but it's unclear if it will lead to identifying the suspect.