LOS ANGELES, CA – Two people in a silver BMW sedan allegedly stole thousands of dollars in power tools Thursday from a crew of deaf construction workers who were repairing storm damage at a home in Granada Hills, according to the homeowner.
The theft happened just before noon Thursday, Oct. 22, at the home of Jan Menapace, who had hired Neverless Construction for the job. Stolen items include a nail gun, eight batteries and a leaf blower, with an estimated value of $4,000 to $5,000, according to initial reports.
Menapace hired the company to patch a leak and repair water damage in her kitchen during last week’s storms in Southern California. The crew was inside the house and did not hear the theft.
Michael Litberg, the owner of Neverless Construction, is also deaf. He said the company had only recently started and had just begun to buy its own tools.
Menapace said she did not report the theft to police because she did not know whether officers could do anything at that moment.
Thieves pulled into driveway
Menapace said the BMW pulled into her driveway while the three workers were working inside. A passenger got out, went into the garage, grabbed a crate of power tools and a leaf blower and returned to the car, which backed out and drove away.
According to initial reports, the passenger was a heavyset man wearing gray sweats, white socks, black sandals and a black hooded sweatshirt. A red “Supreme” clothing logo sticker was visible on what appeared to be the car’s fuel door.
Menapace called the theft “very brazen” and said the people involved walked right into her garage and helped themselves.
Crew noticed the missing crate
Menapace said one of the workers went to collect a tool he needed and noticed the crate was gone. She said she saw the crew signing to one another and looking around, and she asked what was wrong.
Litberg told her the tools were missing. The crew had already spent the day working in the rain to patch the leak, Menapace said, and the theft came on top of that.
She said she was upset and heartbroken for the workers, who she said had worked hard to build up their tool collection.
Homeowner did not file a police report
Menapace said she has not filed a report about the theft. She has publicized the incident in the hope that someone will recognize the thieves and pass information to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The LAPD has not announced an arrest or released information about the theft.
The department’s Community Online Reporting Service lets people file select non-emergency reports, including thefts of personal property from publicly accessible locations. According to the LAPD, online reporting is limited to incidents within the City of Los Angeles in which no one was injured and there are no known suspects, and the person filing must be at least 18.
Fundraiser nears $5,000 goal
On Monday, Oct. 26, Menapace started an online fundraiser with a goal of $5,000 to help the crew replace its equipment. By Tuesday, Oct. 27, it had raised nearly $4,000.
On the fundraising page, Menapace wrote that losing the tools was a serious setback for a crew already in the middle of important repair work.
Litberg said the response has lifted his spirits. “I almost want to cry,” he said.
Owner says the crew will keep going
Crew member Bert Horvath said in sign language that he felt low after the theft. He said he has since felt inspired and motivated to move past it after seeing people’s support and generosity.
Litberg said the crew had been touched by the public’s response. “They may have stolen our tools, they may have stolen our ability to make money for our families, but they did not take our spirit,” he said.
Litberg borrowed replacement tools from friends so the crew could continue the repair at Menapace’s home.
Devonshire area covers part of Granada Hills
The LAPD’s Devonshire Community Police Station serves Chatsworth and Northridge and parts of Canoga Park, Granada Hills and Winnetka. Parts of Granada Hills east of Balboa Boulevard and north of the 118 Freeway are served by the department’s Mission Division.
The department’s COMPSTAT profile for the Devonshire Area covers Aug. 23 to Sept. 19, 2026. It lists 29 burglaries, down from 37 in the prior comparable period, and 90 larceny-theft offenses, up from 82. Motor vehicle thefts fell to 26 from 35. The figures are preliminary and cover the whole Devonshire Area, not this case or this block.
No arrests announced in the theft
Anyone with information about the theft, the silver BMW or the people inside it is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.
The crew’s repair work at the Granada Hills home continues, and the fundraiser remains open as the group works to replace its stolen tools.
