For more than a year, some residents of La Jolla Shores have suspected that drones are being used to case houses so they can be burglarized later.

And recent break-ins in the area are making matters worse.

In the past six months, at least nine residential burglaries have been reported in La Jolla Shores — a handful of them after drones reportedly were seen hovering over the area.

Some residents believe thieves are using drones to monitor the arrival and departure schedules of residents so they know when homes will be empty and can be burglarized.

One Shores resident who asked not to be identified for fear of being targeted said she observed five drones hovering over her parents house, about a half-mile from hers.

“We have had multiple drone sightings in the neighborhood, and always at night,” she said. At least three of the sightings were soon followed by a break-in and theft of valuables, she said.

The resident said she was making dinner one night last year when she needed something from her garden. When she walked into her backyard, she saw a drone hovering about 50 feet away, seemingly being used to look into her house, she said.

“The drone could see into my house and everything going on in it,” she said. “I ran into the house, turned off the lights and ran back outside through the front door. It shot up and went over my house. When I was out front, I saw there were three more and they appeared to be looking into my neighbors’ houses. I was really spooked.”

A few weeks later, “there was a big burglary” in one of the houses, she said.

“There is a feeling of insecurity and vulnerability and being violated, the resident said. This is my home and there is someone looking into my house. I don’t know how long the drone was there, but it was watching us.”

According to federal and state laws, drones cannot be used at night without lighting, must be flown within the users line of sight, and cannot be flown above a person or property without consent if there is a reasonable expectation of privacy or it interferes with the owners use of the property.

San Diego police Lt. Bryan Brecht previously told the La Jolla Light that its tough to draw a connection between drone use and break-ins.

“There are hobby drones, and Realtors use them to take photos of properties, so they could be recreational or professional,” he said.

Brecht added this month that even if the Police Department were able to keep a database tracking dates and locations of drone sightings, there would still be an issue of finding out who the drone belongs to after the fact.”

“It comes down to a victim providing information, and gathering evidence the day of, etc.,” he said.

Acknowledging that “I dont have an easy answer” as to how to tackle the issue, Brecht said residents still should report similar drone incidents to the Police Department.

“I just spoke with my detective sergeant, Brecht said. He does not have any reported cases within the last month of drones casing houses in the La Jolla Shores area or any residential burglaries.”

However, the Shores resident said she would like to see “more regulations” on drones and changes in how residents can respond to them.

“If a drone is on someone’s property, that person should have the right to take it down,” she said.

Federal law prohibits shooting down, destroying or damaging a drone — which is considered an aircraft — flying in the airspace over ones property.