Law enforcement sources tell us a prowler showed up at Cesar's home Thursday night, opened the door to his unlocked car parked in his driveway and stole an iPhone, sunglasses and a garage door opener.

Cesar wasn't home, but when his fiancée woke up Friday morning she noticed the garage door was open and items were missing from the car and police were called.

Surveillance footage shows the burglar used the remote to open the garage door -- presumably to gain access to the house -- and was met by several of Cesar's pooches who were none too pleased to see him. The dogs chased the perp away.

As for the stuff the guy took ... the loss comes to around $1,300. The burglar's still at large but cops have the edge with the video.