EAGLE ROCK, Calif. (KTLA) — A string of home burglaries has residents in the Eagle Rock area on edge.

The uptick in this type of crime is so alarming that it prompted the LAPD to issue a community alert.

The criminals usually strike during the day, entering through back doors or windows, according to police.

The most recent burglary was reported on Saturday around 12:30 p.m. at a home on Wawona Street.

A few months ago, thieves ransacked Karen Shanbrom’s home. They busted through her rear French doors.

The intruders struck on a Friday afternoon. Even more frightening, they were likely watching the house, waiting for Karen to leave.

“I left the house at about 2:55. The 911 call came in at 3:21,” she recalled.

The burglars were in and out within 25 minutes. They swept through jewelry boxes and bedroom drawers.

“It felt like a 2-by-4 had hit me in the gut. It was unreal,” she said.

“All of my grandmother’s stuff was gone. I had a brother who was murdered a few years ago. I had some of his things. Those are gone.”

Neighbor Mark Nelson spotted the criminals during their getaway. He’s the person who called 911.

He said the suspects were driving a newer four-door pickup truck.

“I saw two guys running out of her house with stuffed pillow cases running out of her house,” Nelson recounted.

“They jumped in the back. I chased them down the street but couldn’t get a license plate. It took me some time to realize what I was watching.”

Investigators are not sure whether the same people are responsible for the break-ins.

Police are urging homeowners to keep their doors and windows locked, invest in home alarm systems and even watchdogs.

Neighborhood Watch groups are also strongly recommended.

–Chris Wolfe, KTLA News