Several break-ins were reported in Silver Lake, East Hollywood, including a case of sexual assault

SILVER LAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Police are investigating a series of burglaries in the Silver Lake and East Hollywood neighborhoods as part of the so-called Hot Prowl program. In one of those cases, a woman was sexually assaulted in her own bedroom.

It is not clear exactly how many break-ins there were in the two areas overnight, but residents told Eyewitness News they knew of at least three break-ins in the same neighborhood on Manzanita Street.

One victim told Eyewitness News that he woke up at home around 1 a.m. and saw a man in a sweatshirt standing in the hallway.

Adrenaline rushed through him and he chased the intruder away. It looked like the suspect had used a crowbar to break open the windows of his house and break in.

When he called the police, they responded quickly as they were already on site just a block away for a similar incident.

According to police, in one of the incidents a woman was sexually assaulted while sleeping in her bed.

Hot prowls, i.e. burglaries in the presence of people, are burglars in the area in question.

“This is my home, so of course I question the safety of my neighborhood,” said resident Kom Dwani. “Overall, I feel pretty safe. I walk around all the time. I walk around with my very large dog, so I feel comfortable. But when something like this happens, it definitely gives me a moment of pause.”

It is also unclear whether there is a connection between the burglaries and how many suspects are involved.

Police are urging people to take precautions at home, such as locking all doors and windows, installing outdoor lighting and keeping an eye out for suspicious people.