A Southern California homeowner discovered a hidden camera disguised with fake grass on his property — part of a growing trend in which burglars plant covert cameras in yards in the area to monitor homes and track when residents leave.
According to a report by ABC News, George Nguyen, who is a homeowner in West Covina, California, was watering the hedges in his front yard after dark on Friday (April 25) when he noticed a light coming from one of the bushes.
However, when Nguyen investigated further, he discovered that the light was coming from a well-hidden device — with a lens and a green light — facing his home camouflaged in fake grass. He saw the lens and the green light.
Nguyen covered the lens with his thumb and moved the camera, which he estimated to be 10 inches long and about 4 inches high, so it faced away from his home. He then called West Covina Police immediately. When cops responded to the scene, they confirmed that it was a secret camera that was being used to monitor the comings and goings at Nguyen’s house.
Police have not yet identified the suspect or suspects who hid the camera in the Nguyens’ front yard in West Covina.
A Growing Trend for Hidden Cameras
The use of hidden surveillance devices by burglars is becoming an increasingly common tactic — not just in West Covina, but across various parts of Southern California — as criminals plant covert cameras in yards to monitor homes and track when residents come and go.
West Covina police tell ABC News that another camera was discovered in the area last month, positioned to face a home. Authorities are still investigating whether the two incidents are connected and no arrests have been made. While it differed in type from the camera found in Nguyen’s home, it raised similar concerns.
ABC News also reports that in the past year, a camera disguised as a flower was found in Chino Hills, and cameras camouflaged into landscaping were found in Alhambra, Santa Barbara, and Lost Hills.
Law enforcement agencies say these covert devices are increasingly favored by burglars looking to surveil homes and determine when they’re unoccupied. According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, many of these cases have been tied to so-called “burglary tourism” groups from South America, who travel to the region specifically to commit crimes.
“We believe it’s consistent with burglary crews operating in Southern California,” Sgt. Steven Spagon of West Covina Police Department tells San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Facebook/ George Nguyen.
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