‘We’ve Had Enough’ Cuddy Valley Says

By Patric Hedlund

Cowboy hats, plaid flannel shirts, coffee strong as thunder, and homemade cookies warmed a gathering in Cuddy Hall on Monday, March 5. About 70 neighbors from Cuddy Valley and Lockwood Valley met with sheriff’s deputies from Kern and Ventura Counties. Michelle Maga hosted the meeting (coordinated with The Mountain Enterprise).

The goal was to share information that will help end the burglaries that have plagued this region recently.

Maga introduced Senior Deputy Scott Ramirez from Lockwood Valley and Sergeant Mark Brown from the Frazier Park sheriff’s substation.

In February, Brown said, there were three “second degree burglaries,” which is entering any buiiding other than a residence with intent to steal property or felony.. Entering a residence to do so is a first degree burglary.  He said the last burglaries showed sophistication, as if the burglars had cased the properties and knew exactly what they wanted.

Don Cuddy said he calculated that about $25,000 in tools and materials were stolen from Cuddy Valley in February. His neighbor said the thieves had used his own ladder to unscrew security lights over an outbuilding. Amid sympathetic laughter, the deputies said that is a good lesson for everyone else. “Go over your own property and make it as inconvenient as possible for intruders,” they said: “It is essential to always use the locks on your home, vehicles, outbuildings and fences.

People moved quickly to discussion of effective security devices, including infrared cameras and battery-powered motion sensors that trigger an alert inside the home. Sirens, alarms, lights and outside dogs were discussed.

Beneath the surface, though, there was a simmering fury in the room, outrage that burglars could change the easygoing, trusting lifestyle that many said they moved here to enjoy.

People rose with questions about what is known about the tactics and inclinations of such thieves: “Are they armed? Do I have to be concerned about my children being at home? My wife is only 4 feet five…. What would they do if we confront them?”

The questions carrying deeper anxieties rippled out. Unspoken, but known to most, is that ranchers are familiar with using firearms—and with using them accurately—when necessary.

Brown said that typically a burglar would be inclined to flee rather than confront, but that citizens should not take risks. “Property can be replaced,” Ramirez said, “but not a life.” It was a theme to which he would return.

There was discussion of securing a crime scene so that investigators can collect good evidence—from shoe prints to fingerprints. Keeping people from the scene until investigators can photograph and sweep the area with forensic techniques was strongly advised.

Brown said that there is a sergeant, a lead deputy and six additional deputies assigned to the Frazier Park substation, but that one of those is still in a field training program and not yet on the mountain. He said that over the 3.5 years that he has been here, he has had three complete turnovers in personnel. The message implicit in these comments, they said afterwards, is that law enforcement needs the community to be part of the team. A staff of six deputies needs 70 neighbors to use their eyes and ears to be alert to anything that is out of the ordinary.

Ramirez said there had been a crew frequenting Lockwood Valley and other parts of Ventura County in past years that worked as teams, first casing likely properties, then dropping off scouts in the night to hike across properties to enter outbuildings and sea trains. They were often equipped with tools, even blowtorches, to cut locks and metal doors. Several people were arrested from that group, deputies said.

In a recent Cuddy Valley burglary, a similar method was used. A 600 pound generator was carted off using a dolly.

Brown said that most of the items stolen here are probably sold in Los Angeles County. Efforts to systematically monitor the activities of scrap metal buyers are being made.

Don Cuddy revised his comment about the value of what he knew had been stolen in Cuddy Valley: “That was the replacement value…for us,” he said. With disgust, he added that the thieves would get just a fraction of that. Again, the underlying anger with the situation was close to the surface.

“Your greatest defense is the knowledge that people have of what is ‘normal’ in your own neighborhood. Which cars are not familiar? What people may not have been seen before? Is there a car driving slowly three times past a property…or pulled over and using binoculars?” The crowd was urged to stay vigilant and to call in suspicious events.

Thanks went out to Karen Schott and Michelle Maga for the cookies, and to Lake of the Woods POA for use of Cuddy Hall.

Next Week: Crime Prevention Tips and How to Be a Good Witness

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INSOMNIACS UNITE!

March 6, 2012

Dear Editor:

With age comes wisdom, or so they say. What they don’t tell you is it also brings wakeful periods in the wee hours of the morning.

Up until last night, I lamented this unsolicited aspect of these years north of 50. Finally, I’ve come up with a practical use for my nocturnal wanderings: Watching my neighbors.

Now, don’t start thinking that voyeurism is my new bent.

Here’s what happened.

Monday night (March 5) at Cuddy Hall a meeting between Cuddy Valley neighbors (plus some from other communities) and local law enforcement took place. You see, we here in Cuddy Valley are among those who’ve become recent targets for the latest rash of robberies to strike the Mountain Communities.

Many useful tips to deter determined thieves were supplied by Kern and Ventura county sheriffs. Chief among them was watching out for your neighbors. Stranger Danger doesn’t go away when we reach adulthood, it seems. The offered plan is to scan the neighbor’s homes for odd movements and unknown vehicles.

What a relief it is to have a productive activity to look forward to when my husband and the dog are deep asleep. Now, instead of spewing a stream of unladylike words at the clock on these sleepless nights, I’ll be donning my binoculars along with my fluffy bunny slippers. Perhaps we insomniacs can form a sort of “Sleepless on the Mountain” coalition. Our uniforms could be our bathrobes.

Michelle Maga
Cuddy Valley

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[Corrections have been made to the news report above prior to posting online.]

This is part of the March 09, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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