Suspect hoped to make clean getaway, caught wet-handed

Los Angeles Daily News ^ | 07-18-2003 | Susan Abram

[boris]

Suspect hoped to make clean getaway, caught wet-handed

By Susan Abram
Staff Writer

BURBANK, CA -- A man who police say slipped through a doggie door into a Burbank home this week took just one thing: a bubble bath.

The suspected intruder appeared intoxicated -- but clean -- when a resident discovered him lounging in the bubble-filled bathtub of her home about 2 a.m. Tuesday. Police arrested Rubin Olvera, 22, of Glendale on suspicion of burglary.

"He said he was hot and wanted to cool off," said Burbank Police Sgt. William Berry.

"Court decisions have ruled that the smallest things taken can be burglary, like drinking coffee or a can of soda," Berry said. "In this case, he took water and bubbles."

Police pointed to the incident in the 400 block of Riverside Drive as a warning to residents to secure their pet doors.

"You can spend all the money you want on window and door locks, but if you have a dog door, all that is useless," Berry said.

Berry suggested dog owners visit home improvement or hardware stores for panels and locks that secure pet doors while allowing the animal to get in and out.

Carlos Andrade, a manager for Orchard Supply Hardware in Burbank, suggested a simple hook and eye latch.

"Unfortunately, they don't make anything yet that can secure doggy doors," he said. "But at least this is one deterrent. If someone tries to break through, the residents will hear the noise." Berry also suggested residents learn how to secure open windows against intruders, using nails or specialized pins in window frames.

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Susan Abram can be reached at (818) 546-3304 and susan.abram@dailynews.com.

[EuroFrog]

I wonder, if the man could get through the dog door, one would assume it is a fairly big dog door, where was the dog?

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