By Reza Gostar and Jacqueline Primo
A former Pacific Palisades resident and landscaper is suspected of being involved in a burglary ring that targeted affluent homes in the Palisades and Malibu areas, according to police and witness accounts.
Jami L. Burrows was arrested on Sept. 17 on suspicion of committing multiple burglaries, according to police and city sources. Described as a slender blonde woman in her 40s, Burrows is the former owner of Palisades-based Grow Landscape Design.
The 48-year-old Burrows was identified in a store video attempting to use stolen credit cards by some of her victims, police said.
Police found several high-value items, which they believe were tied to crimes in the Malibu and Palisades areas, after serving search warrants at her Porterville home in the 23700 block of Ave.184, according to authorities.
Detectives also served a search warrant at the location of the former landscape business at 140 Entrada Drive, said Eric Hoffman, an employee at nearby Patrick’s Roadhouse who was shown the warrant.
“This exceptional work by the LAPD’s West LA Burglary detectives has made the Pacific Palisades neighborhood safer, and demonstrates to would-be criminals that if you commit burglaries here you will be caught, and you will be prosecuted,” said City Councilmember Mike Bonin in a news release.
Detectives told the Patrick’s Roadhouse employee the warrant was in relation to an ongoing investigation into a local burglary ring, Hoffman said, adding he remembers Burrows would use the building for storage when she previously rented the location.
Patrick’s Roadhouse has been using the building for storage since Burrows shuttered her storefront and moved out about six months ago, said Hoffman. A neighboring business owner confirmed the timeline.
A former friend and client of Burrows, who asked to remain anonymous, said Burrows moved to Porterville to be near her boyfriend, who is a “farmer.”
The friend said the former landscaper was also known for selling marijuana to some of her clients.
Detectives said they noticed a pattern in the burglaries but did not say if they were connected to her former clients or the landscaping business.
In addition to running the business on Entrada Drive, Burrows lived in several local area neighborhoods in the Palisades, including in the 17900 block of Vicino Way in the Castellammare area-recently blighted by an increase in thefts–and in the 16500 block of Las Casas, between Marquez and the El Medio bluffs.
Kim Clary, president of Castellammare HOA, remembers Burrows living in the upper part of her neighborhood but said she moved out sometime within the last year.
Burrows also rented a nursery located where the Chabad Jewish Community Center of Pacific Palisades is currently located near Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway. This was about eight years ago, said Burrow’s former friend.
The Palisadian-Post is currently working with homeowners to identify more possible victims. Look for the story in next week’s issue.
News Editor Reza Gostar can be reached at reza@palipost.com.
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