A Los Angeles homeowner interrupted an apparent burglary attempt in Sherman Oaks on Saturday afternoon after crashing her Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon into a suspected getaway vehicle, according to police and family accounts.
The incident occurred around midday after the woman briefly left the home to get coffee, leaving her mother to care for three young children. While she was away, multiple suspects jumped the front gate and forced entry through a sliding glass door at the back of the house, confronting the grandmother inside, authorities said.
The grandmother was able to escape and alert the homeowner, who was already returning to the residence. Surveillance footage later showed the woman driving down the street toward her home as the suspects attempted to flee in a white sedan. The SUV collided with the sedan, disabling it and forcing the suspects to abandon the vehicle and run from the scene.
The woman’s husband, David, told media outlets that the crash was not intentional. He said his wife was “in panic” and “lost control” of the vehicle in the moment, rather than deliberately attempting to strike the suspects’ car.
Police said three suspects fled on foot following the collision. No one inside the home was seriously injured.
A search of the abandoned sedan revealed items investigators say point to an organized burglary operation, including a wallet containing a driver’s license, burglary tools such as a red crowbar, a walkie-talkie tuned to LAPD radio frequencies, and multiple license plates. Authorities also stated that the suspects had cut the home’s WiFi connection and disabled a Ring camera system before entering, indicating that the break-in was planned.
The family said they are grateful no one was harmed and hope the evidence recovered from the vehicle will help police identify and arrest those responsible. The investigation remains ongoing.
