“We are fairly confident that they are out of the area,” Fox said.
Several parked cars were targeted, but it is unclear whether any were successfully broken into, Fox said.
Police are looking into whether other cars in the area were hit, Lorenz said.
“There is a strong likelihood there were earlier burglaries before they were caught,” he said.
Lorenz said the suspects may be responsible for earlier property crimes.
“This is not one or two people operating, these are groups of people operating, which become more disconcerting,” he said.
Police have expressed concern over the recent increase in property crimes, many of which were car burglaries.
“These property crimes start turning into more violent crimes because people become more desperate,” Lorenz said. “This is a perfect example.”
Neighbors, some still in robes and sleepwear, gathered on the sidewalk early Sunday morning after hearing the helicopter overhead and seeing police cars on their street.
Around 3 a.m, resident Ani Harutyunyan saw the four men from her window after hearing noises coming from outside. She saw several men dressed in black using a metal device to try to break into a car, she said. She also saw them run toward two passersby and threaten them with a knife.
Earlier this week, someone had tried to break into her father’s car, cracking the window, but hadn’t stolen anything, she said.
“This has happened a lot on this street,” she said.
Anyone with information about the burglaries can call the Glendale Police Department at (818) 548-4840, or Crime Stoppers at (818) 507-7867.
