Deputies Found a Spy Camera Wrapped in Camouflage Tape Outside a Home in San Dimas

Most people lock their doors and call it a night.

But in San Dimas, that was not enough. Before the break-ins even happened, someone was already watching.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department confirmed this week that burglars had planted hidden surveillance cameras in neighborhood bushes, using them to track homeowners’ movements before striking.

The House Across the Street Was Already Watching You

Deputies responded to a burglary in the 800 block of Via Gregorio. Investigators found a camera hidden in bushes directly across the street from the victim’s home.

A phone, connected to a portable hotspot and an external battery, pointed at someone’s front door.

A second device turned up when a landscaper found it while trimming vegetation nearby. The LASD described it as a cellular phone wrapped in green camouflage tape with artificial plants attached.

These devices blend in. That is the entire point.

This Is Not the First Time. Not Even Close.

The same setup has been found in Cerritos in April 2026, Torrance in July 2025, and Glendale, Alhambra, Malibu, Arcadia, and West Covina before that.

Law enforcement across Southern California has been warning about this for over a year.

In Glendale, four Colombian nationals were arrested as part of what authorities called a burglary tourism ring. Organized groups entering the US on tourist visas with one goal: case homes, track routines, then rob them.

These same crews also use WiFi jammers at the moment of break-in to disable your Ring camera and alarm. Your home security may not protect you the way you think.

The San Dimas Station confirmed the discovery in a public bulletin and urged all residents to check their property immediately.

What makes this more alarming is how premeditated these operations are.

In a separate case, two men were caught hiding inside a condemned Pennsylvania home with burglary tools stashed in a backpack, a reminder that preparation before the crime is becoming a defining feature of residential burglary across the country.

The Method Is More Organized Than Most People Realize

These crews target neighborhoods with higher home values, predictable routines, and dense landscaping that gives their cameras natural cover.

A similar level of coordination showed up in Louisiana, where Union Parish deputies arrested five suspects after a burglary BOLO led them to a Farmerville home.

Organized crews working across multiple locations is no longer rare.

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Why This Matters

This is bigger than one street in San Dimas.

According to FBI 2024 data compiled by SafeHome.org, there were over 405,000 residential burglary incidents in the US in 2024.

Homes without a security system are 300% more likely to be targeted, yet roughly 50% of US homes still have none installed.

The hidden camera tactic flips the entire premise of home security. These criminals study you before you know you are a target.

This pattern keeps appearing across different states.

In Philadelphia, a teen facing charges for a crime spree was also charged in a Delaware County burglary case, showing how far these patterns stretch when no one connects the dots early enough.

Key Takeaways

• Two hidden camera devices found in San Dimas, both connected to battery packs and hotspots
• Cameras disguised with green camouflage tape and artificial plants
• Same tactic confirmed across a dozen Southern California cities since 2024
• Linked to organized groups entering on tourist visas specifically to burglarize homes
• These crews use WiFi jammers to disable alarms and cameras at the moment of break-in
• Homes without security systems are 300% more likely to be burglarized
• Check bushes, planters, flower beds, and treelines near your driveway and front door

Have you or anyone near you found something suspicious outside your home? Do you think local authorities are doing enough to warn communities before cameras like these get planted? Drop your take in the comments.

Wrapping Up

A camera in your bush is not random. Someone chose your block, studied it, and timed their move.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. All details are based on publicly available reports and official LASD statements at the time of publication.