A crew of hearing-impaired construction workers is out thousands of dollars in tools after thieves targeted a Granada Hills job site in broad daylight, making off with equipment the workers rely on to support their families.
The theft occurred just before noon on Oct. 22, according to surveillance footage obtained by KTLA.
Granada Hills homeowner Jan Menapace said her home suffered extensive water damage after a leak destroyed much of her kitchen.
While dealing with the damage, she met contractor Michael Litberg, who recently started his own company, Neverless Construction, and offered to help with repairs.
A hearing impaired construction crew working in Granada Hills had $5,000 worth of tools stolen from their job site on Oct. 22, 2026. (viewer image)
“I love my home, I put a lot of work into it,” Menapace told KTLA. “He wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help me with anything I needed around my home, handyman, large job, yard work. I was like, I do need help. I’m going to give this guy a shot.”
Litberg, who is hearing-impaired, employs several crew members who are also hearing-impaired.
“Even though we can’t hear, we’re very good at what we do,” Litberg said, adding that he appreciates having a customer who understands that being unable to hear doesn’t affect the quality of their work.
On the day of the theft, Menapace said she noticed the workers outside communicating in sign language and appearing to search for something.
“I was like, ‘What is happening, what’s going on?’ They were like, ‘We’re missing tools,'” she recalled.
When Menapace checked her home security cameras, she discovered that a vehicle appearing to be a silver BMW had pulled into her driveway.
A hearing impaired construction crew working in Granada Hills had $5,000 worth of tools stolen from their job site on Oct. 22, 2026. (viewer image)
A hearing impaired construction crew working in Granada Hills had $5,000 worth of tools stolen from their job site on Oct. 22, 2026. (viewer image)
A hearing impaired construction crew working in Granada Hills had $5,000 worth of tools stolen from their job site on Oct. 22, 2026. (viewer image)
A hearing impaired construction crew working in Granada Hills had $5,000 worth of tools stolen from their job site on Oct. 22, 2026. (viewer image)
A hearing impaired construction crew working in Granada Hills had $5,000 worth of tools stolen from their job site on Oct. 22, 2026. (viewer image)
A hearing impaired construction crew working in Granada Hills had $5,000 worth of tools stolen from their job site on Oct. 22, 2026. (viewer image)
Surveillance footage showed a passenger getting out of the vehicle and making multiple trips to steal the crew’s expensive tools before fleeing.
Litberg said he and his employees were working inside the home and were unaware that thieves were stealing their equipment outside.
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“We are a new company that just started and we just started to buy the tools,” Litberg told KTLA photojournalist Phil Ige. “What happened is that we didn’t hear the people that came in to steal the tools. They took $4,000 to $5,000 worth of tools.”
For Litberg, the theft was an especially difficult setback for a fledgling business that had only recently begun investing in the equipment needed to take on jobs.
The contractor said the incident was also a reminder that thieves can strike in the middle of the day, even in neighborhoods where residents might not expect this kind of crime.
Despite the financial blow, Litberg said he and his crew are determined to keep moving forward.
“It was a shock, but I can tell you this: we will be okay. We will get through this,” he told KTLA. “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.”
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