A Sand Canyon man is hoping some attention on a crime that happened almost at his front doorstep will help bring some accountability and justice, he said Tuesday.
Especially after the thieves gave his family a bit of a scare.
Abner “Ozie” Sanchez shared a video with The Signal that showed a pair of what he described as brazen criminals committing a “broad daylight” break-in of his work van in front of his house around 7 a.m. Sunday.
Sanchez said the thieves were obviously professional and well-prepared. Both he and his wife were home at the time of the incident, but the two were in and out quickly, he said.
“It took them under three minutes,” Sanchez said, adding video captured by his home-security system actually shows his wife coming outside to confront the men after she realized what was happening. The pair ignored her as she yelled for her husband, but they were gone by the time he could get outside.
The damage: They stole the catalytic converter from Sanchez’s work van.
Sanchez said he grew up in North Hollywood and moved his family up from the San Fernando Valley because of Santa Clarita’s safe reputation, but he’s hearing more and more of these reports.
For the part-time music producer who also uses the van to run his main income, a mobile tank care business, the damage to the van represents a financial setback.
“People can get too comfortable with this kind of thing happening,” Sanchez said in a phone interview, adding he thought being in Sand Canyon put him in one of the safer parts of the country’s safest cities.
“We need to put some light on this,” he said.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials confirmed Tuesday evening that they received the report regarding two suspects, and it’s part of an active investigation.
