Teens found in San Mateo neighborhood arrested on burglary charges

 Posted on November 21,2012 in Shoplifting, Robbery & Burglary

Police in San Mateo recently issued a public statement over a perceived increase in residential burglaries in the city. Law enforcement claims that they enlisted the help of what media reports describe as neighborhood agencies to assist in investigations. The city says it put in place a rapid response system for burglaries.

San Mateo Police say that a call came in reporting a possible burglary in progress. The California Highway Patrol dispatched air support and the neighborhood agencies reportedly set up a perimeter around the area where the possible burglary report came from.

San Mateo Police claim that three young men, two juveniles and an 18-year-old adult were found during the search of the area. The three males were arrested on suspicion of burglary and other charges. Police now accuse the three, ranging in age from 13 to 18-years old of as many as seven burglaries in San Mateo.

Law enforcement says that two of the males were detained fairly quickly during the neighborhood search, but the circumstances surrounding how the officers or neighborhood agencies singled out the two are not clear. A third suspect was picked up in the area a short time later, according to police.

Officials say that all three suspects, a 13-year-old, a 15-year-old and a young adult, were identified and linked to the alleged Tuesday evening burglary through items that law enforcement claims were in the three suspects' possession.

Later, police reportedly concluded that law enforcement could link the three to other burglaries, but police have not indicated how the three males can be linked to the other burglaries. In the wake of the recent public announcement that burglaries appeared to have been on the rise in the area, law enforcement says that seven alleged burglaries were reported last week.

The adult male is being processed on charges of burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, and conspiracy, according to police. The 18-year-old was booked into the San Mateo County Jail. The young juveniles face similar allegations and were released to parents after processing.

Sources:

• San Mateo Patch, "San Mateo Police Arrest Suspects Linked to Multiple Burglaries," Laura Dudnick, Nov. 19, 2012
• CBS San Francisco, "3 Teens Arrested In Series Of San Mateo Break-Ins," Nov. 20, 2012