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Kyle Richards’ Encino Home Burglarized—How to Avoid the Same Fate

The Encino, CA, home of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kyle Richards and her husband, real estate broker Mauricio Umansky, was recently burgled while the family took a holiday vacation in Aspen, CO.

“They can steal your belongings but they can’t steal your memories or your love,” Umansky posted on Instagram, but you know the couple must be left with questions.

Namely, how the heck did this happen? TMZ reported the thieves used a ladder to break through a second-story window of the home the couple recently bought for $8.3 million. They then took over a million dollars worth of belongings, including watches worth about $150,000, a Birkin bag, and all the jewelry Richards wasn’t traveling with—including a $100,000 pair of earrings and her engraved gold wedding band. The thieves appear to have targeted the master bedroom.

A perfect storm of security system mishaps allowed the thieves to operate undetected. Renovations were being carried out while the family was gone, and due to miscommunication with the construction crew, most of the home’s high-tech security systems were shut off, although a closet motion detector was set off the day after the family had left for vacation.

In addition, the family’s three dogs—among them a German shepherd—were away from home, finishing up a five-week obedience class, according to TMZ.

There’s rumor the crime could have been an inside job, committed by someone who knew the family was out of town and the security systems were not fully functioning. But even an inside job could have been prevented by following some simple security tips.

We spoke with L.A. security experts George Rodriguez of L.A. Security Cameras and Aaron Hoffman of APS Security Systems to learn how not to become an easy target.

Don’t post your whereabouts on social media

Anyone who follows anyone associated with the Richards-Umansky clan on Instagram or Twitter would know they were out of town.

“We highly discourage anyone from advertising where they are when they’re away from home,” says Rodriguez.

Consider installing security cameras inside your home

“Many people don’t like the idea of having a lot of cameras inside the house,” says Hoffman. But he adds that cameras can be installed that are triggered only when an alarm activation occurs. If someone breaks in, the cameras focusing on your valuables kick into gear and start recording.

Hoffman says that multilayered systems—cameras inside and out—work best. Local police often give alarm activations low priority, but when a security company calls and says it has video verification of an intruder in the home, he explains, the police rush over.

Furthermore, the recorded footage can be admissible evidence in court.

Be discreet about your valuables

Flashing cash and conspicuous consumption are hallmarks of the “RHOBH” brand, but the rest of us should be more discreet, even being careful about name-brand bags or boxes thrown into trash cans or recycling bins.

“This is especially important around the holidays, when people are disposing of gift packaging,” says Rodriguez.

Make sure a security system is activated

Richards would likely still have her valuables if the security system had been remotely activated. Hoffman says security systems can be set up to send you a text reminder to activate the system if you haven’t done it already by a specific time. Activation is as easy as entering a code into your mobile device.

Install a heavy, hidden, bolted safe

Even if you don’t have a million dollars worth of jewelry and other valuables lying around, it’s a good idea to have a fireproof safe hidden and bolted down, where you can store important papers, as well as jewelry and other belongings that might be of interest to thieves. Umansky apparently kept his watches in a lockbox, but it didn’t appear to deter the burglars.

“Thieves want to get in and out quickly,” says Rodriguez. “The longer it takes them to find your valuables or try to pick a lock, the less likely they will be to target you.”

Light the way

Not only do bright lights discourage thieves by illuminating their dirty deeds, they also help security cameras get a clearer picture. Rodriguez advises installing motion detection lights as well as cameras. One additional benefit? They keep you from stumbling around in the dark in the middle of the night.

Hoffman adds that normal house lighting can help deter potential thieves watching the house for signs of habitation. You can easily purchase devices that program your interior lights to go on and off at different hours each day, fooling strangers watching the house.

And for all the high-tech contraptions that are available these days, Hoffman says perhaps one of the best, and low-tech, ways to keep your home safe while you’re away is to hire a house sitter. The sitter can see that lights are being turned on and off, that cars are coming and going, and that alarm systems are turned on. That, and a watchdog, and you’re golden.

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