Latest news with #KiaraOrtiz
New York Post
30-07-2025
- New York Post
Brave mom chases down thieves, smashes window of getaway car with bare hand after catching them robbing her California home
A California mom bravely chased down two burglars she caught leaving her home and smashed out their getaway car's back window with her bare hand as they fled with her handgun and her son's piggy bank. Kiara Ortiz said she had just picked up lunch with her two children on Saturday when they spotted the thieves exiting from their Torrance apartment in southwestern Los Angeles. 'We were coming out of the car my son immediately said, 'Who is that?' and when I looked over I saw one of them with my kid's piggy bank,' Ortiz told ABC 7. 5 Kiara Ortiz caught the two burglars leaving her home in Torrance on Saturday. YouTube/ABC 7 The buglers immediately took off after being noticed, but the quick-thinking mom of two wasn't going to let them get away easily. She began to chase after the pair, recording them on her phone, as they bolted towards a dark green BMW. Ortiz — who works as a personal fitness trainer — caught up to the car before they could make their escape, where she used her bare hand to break the BMW's rear window. 'I saw the guy kind of reach over for something, so I backed up a little bit went around the car and hit the windshield, the window,' she told the outlet. The thieves sped off after Ortiz smashed in the back window — nearly hitting another driver as they fled with the stolen goods. 5 The buglers immediately took off after they noticed Ortiz was on to them. YouTube/ABC 7 When the mom-of-two went to see what was stolen from her home, she told ABC 7 that the apartment was ransacked entirely. The buglers made off with her jewelry, about $100 in cash, and her son's piggy bank. They were also able to pry open the lockbox in her bedroom containing her handgun, which they also stole. Ortiz said the whole ordeal has left her shaken. 5 The mom of two began to chase after the pair, recording them on her phone, as they bolted towards a dark green BMW. YouTube/ABC 7 'I feel very violated, very angry,' she said. During the chase, Ortiz's son was able to snap a photo of the BMW's license plate, which the family hoped would help bring the thieves to justice. However, after turning over the photo to the police, it was determined to be a stolen plate that did not match the car. While they still remain at large, Ortiz said she's 'grateful' that her family is safe and wasn't home when the thieves broke into their apartment. 5 Ortiz — who works as a personal fitness trainer — caught up to the car before they could make their escape, where she used her bare hand to break the BMW's rear window. YouTube/ABC 7 5 The thieves sped off after Ortiz smashed in the back window. YouTube/ABC 7 'It could have gone so bad,' she said. The Torrance Police Department said they are actively investigating the burglary. 'This type of crime is concerning, and we are committed to ensuring the safety of our community,' the department wrote in a statement. 'We encourage community members to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior or activity to the Torrance Police Department promptly.' A crime analysis report released by the Torrance Police Department in April shows that there have been 86 residential burglaries in the coastal city of Torrance in 2025.
Daily Mail
29-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Fearless mother gets satisfying revenge on burglars who she caught stealing little boy's piggy bank
A fearless California mother punched a hole in the back windshield of a burglar's car after a group of thieves stole her son's piggy bank. Kiara Ortiz was pulling up to her Torrance home when her son asked her who the men were who were coming out of the residence on July 26 around 2pm. 'When I looked over, I saw one of them with my kid's piggy bank,' she told ABC 7. The fearless mom didn't wait to jump into action as she took off after the burglars on foot, recording them as she went. They fled to a green BMW that had a getaway driver inside, police said. As the personal trainer neared their getaway vehicle, the mom punched a hole through the back passenger-side window with her bare hands. 'I saw the guy kind of reach over for something, so I backed up a little bit went around the car and hit the windshield, the window,' she told the outlet. The vehicle and the burglars managed to escape and Ortiz was left with a mess to deal with. The inside of her home was completely ransacked. Her jewelry, at least $100 in cash, and a firearm that had been pried out of a lockbox had been taken. 'I feel very violated, very angry,' she said. To make matters worse, despite her son being able to capture a photograph of the license plate, it turned out to be swapped plates that were not registered to the vehicle. Another blow is that the thieves got away with the piggy bank. But at the end of the day, Ortiz is just glad her family is okay. 'I am just grateful that my family is okay, it could have gone so bad,' she said. The Torrance Police Department said: 'This type of crime is concerning.' 'We encourage community members to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior or activity to the Torrance Police Department promptly,' it wrote in a statement.
