Secure Your Cars, Manhattan Beach
Sep 20, 2025 09:21AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
(Parking in the El Porto lot in Manhattan Beach, a favorite spot for car thieves)
Burglars love an easy target, so keep your cars and belongings secure, Manhattan Beach Police are advising.
For the month of August, Manhattan Beach experienced 16 vehicle burglaries, nine of which occurred in unlocked cars or cars with the keys hidden nearby.
In six cases, the cars were left unlocked; and in three cases, the cars were hit by "surfer burgs" where the key had been left in the wheel well or bumper while the owner was at the beach. Two additional thefts were of items left in the trunk, while one was a theft from an open truck bed.
The numbers from August continue a trend from July, when police reported a total of 17 vehicle burglaries.
"Surfer Burgs" Continue to Plague El Porto
Vehicle
burglaries occurring in the El Porto area are referred to as “surfer burgs” because the victims, typically surfers, “hide” their vehicle key
in or around their vehicle.
While the victims are gone, suspect(s) who have been watching
where surfers hide the key will retrieve it, and unlock and enter the
victim’s vehicle. The suspects steal the victim’s belongings including
their cell phone and wallet.
The
suspect(s) may then access the victim’s cell phone and search for personal
information, and/or use the victim’s credit cards to make high-end
purchases at retail establishments.
The average victim suffers
a loss of approximately $30,000, with some victims experiencing a loss
of over $100,000, according to MBPD.
(MBPD holds a vehicle safety outreach effort at El Porto parking lot in November 2021.)
In November 2021, MBPD held a safety outreach program at El Porto parking lot.
At the time, MBPD Captain Christian Eichenlaub told MB News that safer options available for stowing your keys include waterproof cases that can be taken into the water, or lockbox-type devices similar to what real estate agents use to keep house keys safe.
