Alleged Knock-Knock Burglary Crew Arrested In Palisades

By ALEXANDRIA BORDAS | Reporter

Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrested three men on the corner of Temescal Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway on Tuesday, Nov. 3 after they allegedly broke into a Pacific Palisades home and stole over $10,000 in personal property.

This is the second major arrest in four months in the Palisades made by undercover detectives from the Major Crimes Bureau Burglary Robbery Task Force (BRTF) led by Sergeant Michael Maher.

(Read the Palisadian-Post’s story about the elite BRTF team at palipost.com/?p=51250.)

Rayshawn Marshall, 20, Michael Butler, 21, and Mark Hundley, 29, allegedly broke into a home on the 700 block of Enchanted Way in Marquez Knolls at approximately 10 a.m. and stole watches, jewelry and other personal property, which was later recovered by detectives.

Detective Medina of the BRTF said his team had been investigating a suspected residential burglary crew when they were alerted to a rental car on the move from South Los Angeles toward the West LA area. The BRTF began tracking the suspects as they drove into and around the Palisades.

“Flocking crews, or knock-knock crews, typically rent upscale cars in an attempt to blend into the neighborhoods they intend on burglarizing,” Maher told the Palisadian-Post.

Maher said detectives monitored the suspects as they allegedly broke into the home by using an instrument to shatter the rear slider and began ransacking the house.

Additional support was called in from the Simi Valley Police Department where the three suspects were also under investigation for alleged burglaries relating to that area.

At approximately 11 a.m. authorities were able to safely detain and arrest the suspects without incident at Temescal and PCH.

“They are part of a long ongoing investigation and we expect to link these three suspects to many more recent home burglaries,” Maher said. “We can possibly pin them to 10 to 20 additional burglaries.”

Marshall, Butler and Hundley are each being charged with one count of residential burglary in addition to gang enhancement charges, which means their crimes were intended to benefit their respective gangs as a whole.

Maher explained that most of the suspects have facial tattoos signifying what crew they belong to and they also dress nicely to appear as unsuspecting as possible.

A police scanner was recovered from the suspects’ rental vehicle, indicating they were likely listening to police calls to see if they were being tracked.

Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrived on scene after the suspects were arrested to assist in the investigation.

Hundley is being held on $1.4 million bail and is on what’s known as a “probation hold,” which means a probation officer thinks the crime is too severe to allow a suspect out on bail.

Marshall, who is being held on $250,000 bail, is also on a probation hold.

Butler is being held on $200,000 bail and is eligible to bond out.

The three suspects are scheduled to appear at the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Airport Courthouse on Dec. 10.