BURGLARY VICTIMS CAN CLAIM ITEMS.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

PACOIMA - Victims of a gang of burglars that stole jewelry from homes in Burbank, Glendale and throughout the Valley will have the opportunity to recover their stolen jewelry Thursday in a viewing at the LAPD's Foothill station between 5 and 9 p.m., police said.

The property was seized after the arrests in September of some of the gang members, some of whom have since been convicted, said LAPD Foothill Division Officer Kevin Foster.

The burglars usually worked in groups of two, committing three to four burglaries a day in areas including Northridge, Reseda, Arleta, Sunland-Tujunga, Sylmar, North Hollywood, Glendale and Burbank, police said.

Detective Charles Uribe of the Los Angeles Police Department's Foothill Division urged victims to come and claim their property because this will be their last chance before it is sold.

The thieves stole cash, small electronic items, firearms and jewelry, said LAPD Foothill Officer Kevin Foster.

Among the items of jewelry recovered were watches, rings, necklaces and earrings, Foster said.

Police began operating a surveillance team on the burglars after a vehicle belonging to a Sunland-Tujunga resident was noticed being driven slowly in a neighborhood, with the license plates taken off, Foster said.

Police later arrested a man who had a firearm that had been stolen in the string of burglaries.

Search warrants were served at five homes and hundreds of items of jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars were recovered, Uribe said.