Foiled break-in caught on camera at Pasadena home as would-be burglars flee

PASADENA, Calif. () — A frightening encounter was caught on camera in Pasadena as a homeowner scared off a group of would-be burglars.

Surveillance video shows five masked men approaching a home before running off when they were confronted by the homeowner.

The shocking video shows a group of masked men break into the backyard of a Pasadena home –seemingly assuming no one was inside.

There are many homes under renovation and repair in the Hastings Ranch neighborhood after the Eaton Fire last year. The homeowner, who asked 7 to keep his identity anonymous, said he believes that is the reason he was targeted.

Pasadena police said the tresspassing/attempted break-in incident was reported around 11:15 p.m. Friday.

The video shows the men, with their faces covered and wearing gloves, making their way toward the house and into the backyard.

The motion lights snap on, and then the security system loudly warns them that they are being recorded and tells them to leave. But they don’t.

The men keep walking into the backyard, seemingly unfazed, the video shows.

Inside the house, the homeowner and his wife were watching TV when they heard the side gate slam shut.

The homeowner pulled up his camera feeds, saw the men outside, and decided to confront them — yelling at the men and turning on more lights.

The moment that they realized someone was actually home, they ran. The video shows them sprint out of the yard and back to a car that was waiting nearby.

The homeowner’s wife called Pasadena police, and despite officers arriving in minutes, the men were already gone. Police said no arrests have been made and no suspect descriptions are available at this time.

“I’m a 27-year resident of Pasadena, and I’ve never had this issue. Being woken up and knowing that someone opened our gate is extremely nerve-wracking,” the homeowner said. “In the end, when you look at the situation, they recieved noting material. But they stole the one thing that is probably most important to me — they stole my peace of mind.”

The homeowner says this is not the first time something like this has happened in the neighborhood.

He said just six weeks ago, another home in the neighborhood was burglarized while it was undergoing smoke repairs. The man said jewelry and other items were stolen from the home.

Eyewitness News reached out to Pasadena police to ask if the two incidents are related. We are still waiting to hear back.