Officials Warn Californians to Watch for Hidden Cameras Secretly Placed in Their Gardens
Authorities in San Dimas are warning residents to check for hidden cameras around their homes after a string of burglaries were reported in the area. These are not random acts. Thieves are planting surveillance devices inside hedges and flower beds to spy on homeowners for days before striking. The cameras blend so seamlessly into landscaping that most people would walk past them without a second look. And your yard may already be under watch.
Two Devices Found Within One Week, Same Neighborhood
On May 12, deputies from the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station, responding to a burglary on the 800 block of Via Gregorio, discovered a hidden camera concealed in bushes directly across from the victim’s home. The device was connected to a portable hotspot and an external battery pack. Just one week earlier, a landscaper trimming hedges in the same neighborhood found a second device: a cellphone wrapped in green camouflage tape, fitted with artificial plants, and connected to a power bank. Both finds pointed to a deliberate pattern.
How the Devices Work
Authorities believe these devices are used by suspects to monitor when residents leave their homes, helping them determine the best times to commit burglaries. By connecting a camera to a portable Wi-Fi hotspot and a battery pack, thieves can watch a live feed remotely from anywhere, without ever returning to the scene. The setup requires no technical expertise and uses off-the-shelf components anyone can buy. That accessibility makes it particularly difficult for law enforcement to trace the source.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Authorities warned that the hidden cameras are often concealed in bushes, planters, trees, and flower beds to blend into the landscape while suspects study the daily routines of homeowners. Devices are frequently wrapped in camouflage tape or adorned with artificial foliage to mimic surrounding vegetation. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department bulletin, the cameras are usually tucked into spots where they blend in with the landscaping and are easy to miss on a casual glance. Most homeowners would never think to search their own garden.
What Authorities Are Telling Residents to Do
The San Dimas Sheriff’s Station issued a clear public advisory following the discoveries. The Sheriff’s Department urged residents to inspect their property regularly, stay alert for suspicious activity, and keep trees and bushes trimmed to reduce hiding spots for cameras or suspects. Officials also advised keeping outdoor areas well-lit at night and monitoring any existing home security systems. Critically, if a suspicious device is found, residents are told not to touch or move it, as it may contain forensic evidence valuable to investigators.
Burglaries Are Down, But Becoming More Calculated
The hidden-camera tactic reflects a broader shift in how property crimes are being carried out across Los Angeles. According to LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard, burglaries across the city are down more than 30% in 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, which he credited to proactive enforcement and prevention strategies. He added, however, that the reduction carries little weight for those who have already been victimized. The overall drop in numbers masks a troubling rise in the sophistication of individual crimes.
Organized Groups Are Targeting Wealthy Neighborhoods
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the Los Angeles Times that South American theft groups have become significantly more active in recent months, with crimes tied to these crews rising sharply even as overall burglary numbers decline. LAPD Chief Dominic Choi confirmed at a Police Commission meeting that organized groups traveling from outside the country are specifically targeting high-end residents. These crews typically focus on wealthy neighborhoods, targeting homes near open spaces, hiking trails, and canyons that provide easy access and escape routes.
The Rise of “Burglary Tourism”
Over the last several years, California and other southwestern states have seen a rise in what law enforcement calls “burglary tourism,” in which thieves from South America travel to the United States with the sole purpose of committing heists. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass highlighted the arrest of a suspect tied to a South American crime group linked to more than 25 residential burglaries, including 14 in the San Fernando Valley alone. These are coordinated operations, built around reconnaissance, speed, and the ability to disappear before investigators can respond.
A Landscaper’s Accidental Discovery
One of the most striking details in the San Dimas case is how the second device was found: by a landscaper doing routine hedge trimming. Authorities are urging residents across the San Gabriel Valley to search their yards following the two incidents, with law enforcement specifically citing the landscaper’s find as a reminder of how easily these devices can go undetected. Everyday maintenance work revealed what a homeowner might never have noticed. That detail carries a practical lesson: the most ordinary moments of yard care could be the very thing that protects your home.
Your Garden May Be the First Line of Defense
What happened in San Dimas is a reminder that home security extends well beyond alarm systems and deadbolts. Burglars are now investing time and technology into surveillance before a single door is touched. Trimming your hedges, lighting your pathways, and scanning for unfamiliar objects in your yard have become basic safety habits. As these tactics grow more sophisticated, staying ahead of them demands the same level of attention. The question worth sitting with: when did you last really look at your own garden?