The Associated Press reports two women sentenced to prison last Thursday for burglarizing a home in a San Fernando neighborhood that had been evacuated during a wildfire in late 2008. Sabrina Devens, 32, of Sherman Oaks was given a four-year term and Gina Samantha Rios, 19, of North Hollywood was sentenced to two years by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen. Both women pleaded no contest to a single felony count of first-degree residential burglary. In the article, Los Angeles home security experts emphasize the importance of having good anti-burglary systems in place to protect your home from such burglaries.

The two suspects were caught on Nov. 15, 2008 by a resident returning home from an evacuation of the Porter Ranch area that was ordered because of the huge Sayre Fire which burned about 17 square miles of brushlands along the northern rim of Los Angeles destroying nearly 500 residences. The district attorney's office said the victim found Rios using a cell phone in front of his home, and then saw Devens walk to the front of the residence from the rear yard. Police officers patrolling the area witnessed the confrontation and investigated, discovering property belonging to the victim and his wife in the women's possession. When I spoke with a professional who specializes in vehicle theft prevention, according to the auto locksmith Los Angeles County residents should always consider securing both their homes and vehicles, as burglars and thieves tend to go after these targets due to their relatively high resell value.

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