On June 2, 2026, a group of burglars broke into TikToker Derek Luu’s (@gothgaysiangarbage) parents’ house in San Gabriel. The family had also experienced three other robberies the year before.
The burglars had broken into the house, stolen his parents’ cash savings, and destroyed the bedroom. They entered when Derek’s sister was at home and assaulted her on their way out.
“Since then, we installed all the stuff that we needed: new cameras, new alarm systems,” said Derek. “But these burglars are pretty much used to all of our tactics, and they have evaded it.”
The burglars place spy cameras on their neighbor’s lawn to track his family’s whereabouts, so they can invade when no one is home. Every time the family makes a report to the police, they don’t seem to do anything about it.
According to Derek, each report has been met with indifference and a lack of urgency. So, Derek feels he has been left with no other choice but to share his story on the internet.
He is interested in connecting with anyone who knows more about how the criminal justice system works or anyone who has experience with these burglars.
Apparently, this group of burglars has been targeting families across Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Ventura County.
“If you are also experiencing any issues with speaking to a detective or even speaking to the sheriff’s department, I’m with you,” said Derek.
“I’ve been calling for the past week every day, and I’m getting nowhere with them, so it’s really frustrating.”
“I am interested in also potentially making this a political thing and actually just trying to get people to rally against the fact that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is not doing anything when it comes to actual crimes.”
He also pointed out that, like many of the other victims, his parents are immigrants. Due to their distrust of the police and the language barrier, it is difficult to request help from law enforcement.
Without a relationship with the police, families like Derek’s are unable to properly protect themselves from these crimes, let alone recover from them.
In the comments section, many people shared their own experiences with home invasions and the lack of help they received from the police.
“I also had this experience when I lived in L.A. County in Glendale. It was an attempted break-in, and the cops caught him, but gave us no further information on when the perpetrator would be released or charged. Could never get anyone on the phone with a definitive answer, and none of us felt safe living there after that,” wrote one person.
“This happened to my parents’ home up [in] the Portland area. A theft group was targeting Asian business owners specifically. Unsure if it’s related. I am so sorry this happened to you. It’s such an invasive feeling overall. But especially as children of immigrants, we know how hard our parents have worked for every single penny to their name,” commented another.
“My grandmother’s house got robbed twice in Monterey Park. I posted a video of burglars, but never got their faces. They took all of my grandmother’s savings and jewelry. Police didn’t do anything, and we haven’t found anything since. I’m sorry this has happened to your family. I pray they will find some peace and justice,” added a third.
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By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
