GUN UNDID BURGLARY RING; PARENTS' TIP LED SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES TO INVESTIGATE TEEN THEFT SUSPECTS.

Byline: Stacy Brown and Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writers

A burglary ring that sheriff's investigators say was run for three years by a group of teen-age friends unraveled after the parents of a 17-year-old boy discovered a gun in his bedroom, officials said Friday.

The parents turned in the gun to sheriff's deputies, spurring an investigation that led to the arrests of a dozen neighborhood teens and shock among residents of a tract near Saugus High School, said Lt. Tim Peters of the sheriff's Santa Clarita Valley station.

Checks on the gun revealed it had been reported stolen from that same neighborhood, Peters said.

``The parents are the ones who turned in the kid in the first place,'' he added.

Meanwhile, other teen-age suspects in the case all named the same boy as the one to whom the stolen goods were delivered, Peters said. Deputies went to the 17-year-old's house and received his permission to search his room.

``We saw things that we were concerned may have been stolen, but we had no reports of that,'' Peters said.

Deputies then requested and were granted a search warrant by a Newhall Municipal Court judge to return to the teen's home and search again. During that second visit, they determined that a set of free weights, a weightlifting bar and a cellular phone in his room all were stolen, the lieutenant said.

No other searches were conducted at the homes of the other suspects, Peters said.

The boys, who were arrested at different times since August, have yet to be arraigned in Sylmar Juvenile Court.

``Everybody has been released. Nobody's in custody,'' Peters said.

Petitions - the juvenile court equivalent of charges that are filed in adult court - allege assorted felonies, including burglary, grand theft, receiving stolen property, theft of vehicle parts and being a minor in possession of a firearm, Peters said.

The suspects face various allegations, depending on their level of involvement, he added.

The arrests shocked many people around the small Saugus neighborhood where the boys lived and several of the suspected crimes took place.

``I was surprised because I hadn't heard of any of this until I read the newspaper (Friday) morning,'' said a woman who declined to give her name. ``But I do see a lot of young kids out without any guidance, and half the time they don't even go to school.''

Leslie Borgen, a homeowner in the area, said neighbors have always left doors and windows unlocked because of the safe-city status enjoyed by Santa Clarita and most of its suburbs.

``We all do it,'' Borgen said. ``We take for granted what a safe city we live in.''

According to Peters, 13 boys have been detained and booked for investigation of stolen property then released to their parents. Detective Dennis Blackstock had said the number was expected to grow to 20 by the time the investigation is complete. However, Peters said, ``there may be just two or three more.''

Authorities believe the teens may have stolen as much as $8,000 in auto parts, sporting goods, jewelry and electronic equipment.

Blackstock said the teens would enter through unlocked doors, garages and windows, and in one case they got a teen-ager who was house-sitting for a vacationing family to use the house key, hitting the home six times.

The ring was ``only loosely organized through friendships. It's not a gang,'' Peters said.

BURGLARY PREVENTION

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department offers the following tips to help prevent burglary.

Lock all windows, gates and doors, including sliding glass doors.

Hide valuables: Sock drawers are obvious hiding places. Instead, try the bathroom, children's room or other less obvious places.

Store luggage: Do not leave luggage in visible areas of the home so thieves can easily escape with valuable items.

Photograph or videotape valuable and costly items, such as computers. Also write down serial numbers for police identification.

Join an existing Neighborhood Watch group or begin one yourself.

Trim bushes around your home to limit hiding places.

Install an alarm system warning sign in front of the home.

Turn on a talk radio station to simulate someone's voice inside the house.

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BOX: BURGLARY PREVENTION (see text)