Music Hitmaker Toby Gad Has Home Burglarized in Hollywood Hills

— -- A Grammy-winning producer who's co-written smash hits for John Legend, Madonna, Fergie and Beyonce says he is the victim of a burglary in Los Angeles.

Burglars struck Toby Gad's posh family home in the Hollywood Hills, cracking a large safe, police said.

"$50,000 to $55,000-worth of property was taken: gold coins and cash," Los Angeles Police Detective Raymond Conboy said.

Gad started collecting the rare gold coins as a child.

"My granddad gave me my first gold coin,” Gad said. “And then my dad gave me one. And whenever I made some money, I bought another gold coin. So in the end it was 40 ounces of gold. And yeah, every gold coin told a story to me "

Gad's wife on Monday said she found the safe, which had been bolted to the floor, torn apart. A sledgehammer, crowbar and pickax were found next to the safe.

"This is really traumatizing,” said the wife, Li Gad. “We don't want our kids growing up in fear."

The family kept the safe just behind a garage door. But it is possible to see through the house in an area being renovated, and police say that may be how the thieves broke in.

The Gads' $1.8 million home now is one of nearly 30 properties burglarized this year in the Hollywood Hills, an area in the shadow of the world-famous Hollywood sign.

Detectives are scouring the area for surveillance video.

As for Gad, he's now installing an alarm system, the hit-maker hoping not to get hit again.