HERMOSA BEACH, CA – A suspect was taken into custody early Monday morning after allegedly breaking into a Manhattan Avenue home while a family, including two young children, slept inside.
Midnight Break-In Reported
The incident began around 2:45 a.m. when the Hermosa Beach Police Department received a frantic 911 call reporting an active home invasion. The caller informed dispatchers that an intruder had entered the residence through a window.
The homeowner notified police that two children, ages 3 and 5, were sleeping upstairs before she managed to safely escape the house to meet arriving officers outside.
High-Stakes Standoff and Forced Entry
Within two minutes of the call, a massive multi-agency perimeter was established by officers from:
- Hermosa Beach Police
- Manhattan Beach Police
- Redondo Beach Police
- El Segundo Police
- Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (Air Support)
As officers surrounded the home, the suspect opened the front door to flee but retreated inside upon seeing police, dead-bolting the door shut.
When officers witnessed the suspect running upstairs toward the children’s bedroom, they immediately forced entry into the home. Officers apprehended the suspect on the second floor without further incident. Fortunately, both children were found safe and still fast asleep.
Stolen Property Recovered
A subsequent search of the home revealed that the interior had been ransacked. Investigators found the suspect in possession of stolen property linked to the residence, as well as items connected to other local thefts that occurred earlier that night.
“The wellbeing of those two children was our first priority from the moment we got the call,” Hermosa Beach Police Chief Landon Phillips said in an official statement, praising the rapid coordination between the neighboring departments.
No injuries were reported, and the identity of the suspect has not yet been released.
