SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - New steps are being taken in Rancho Bernardo to protect residents after a high profile home invasion robbery.
The homeowners were tied up and police believe this is not the first time these bold thieves have struck.
"We can't protect you without protecting yourself a little bit," Lt. Natalie Stone, San Diego Police, told residents.
The basic protections include making sure all doors in the home are secured.
According to authorities, the majority of the cases in the Rancho Bernardo area have been crimes of opportunity.
"They [homeowners] need to lock doors. They have to keep their windows shut no matter how uncomfortable that is," said Lt. Stone.
Community leaders also pushed for a revival of "Neighborhood Watch."
"We have seen a lot of video footage from neighbors which show these guys going down the street until they find something that is open, and that is how they are gaining access," said Lt. Stone.
Police reported that the men broke into the home, located in the 11000 block of Aliento Court near Cabela Drive, through a garage side door. They wore bandanas and headlamps to confuse the victims.
The three masked men tied up the couple with shoe strings while they slept and then and held them at gunpoint around 3:45 a.m., according to authorities. The suspect got away with cash and jewelry.
Investigators believe the same trio of bandits may be responsible for a similar residential burglary that occurred last weekend in the 10700 block of Passerine Way in Sorrento Valley.
In each case, the perpetrators got into the home through a side door with no signs of forced entry, threatened residents with a gun and bound them, police said.
