Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE / COMMUNITY ALERT
CITY of SAN MATEO POLICE DEPARTMENT
200 Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org





SMPD OFFICERS CATCH BURGLARY SUSPECTS
PLUS - TIPS ON SAFEGUARDING YOUR PROPERTY

April 12th, 2011 – 3:23 am

San Mateo Police Department patrol officers noticed an ongoing crime trend of theft activity from vehicles occurring in the North Central area of San Mateo. Officers working this area composed an operational plan to saturate the area with officers in an attempt to identify and/or arrest the suspects responsible for this rash of crimes. In addition to patrol techniques, the officers were provided supplemental investigative information on a possible suspect vehicle from recent auto burglaries.

On the very first evening that this operational plan was put into service, Officer Steve Bennett spotted a vehicle which matched the investigative information on the suspect vehicle. He conducted an enforcement stop on the vehicle in the North Shoreview area of San Mateo, just on the other side of the pedestrian overcrossing over US 101 from the location of this crime trend. The two occupants were subsequently arrested for drug violations, and suspected stolen property was located in the vehicle. A ensuing search of the suspects’ motel room yielded an additional large cache of suspected stolen property. The property included vehicle stereos and audio equipment, computer and gaming equipment, tools, and numerous other items.

SMPD Detectives assisted with the investigation, and are cross-checking existing SMPD theft cases and coordinating with surrounding agencies, seeking to match this large amount of stolen property to the original thefts. The suspects in this case have been identified as:

Jose Luis Marquez, a 30 year-old male Half Moon Bay resident
And
Sommer Star Gonsalves, a 19 year-old female Redwood City resident

Both suspects were booked into San Mateo County Jail for drug charges, possession of burglary tools, and possession of stolen property.

Although detectives and officers involved in this case are fairly certain that the large amount of property seized in this case is stolen, they are still working to connect much of this property to existing crimes – and the case is still open and active.

SMPD is reminding community members that taking the following measures will help to ensure the speedy matching of stolen property to existing cases, and helps to immediately identify property recovered in field investigations like this as STOLEN:

Keep track of your property:
• Record serial numbers, makes, and model numbers of your identifiable items.
• On items that do not have identifiable serial numbers, you may inscribe or permanently apply your own ID numbers (record these numbers – some sources recommend using Driver License Numbers, but if you are uncomfortable with that, a combination of letters and numbers that you record will suffice)
• Take photos of all valuable items (take more than one angle)
• Store your records and photos of valuable property in a separate, safe place so that you can provide these numbers and photos to police in the event of a theft.
• If you are a victim of a theft, provide this information to the police. Serial numbers and owner-applied numbers can allow the police to enter your property into an automated stolen property database – this will ensure identification and return of your property if it is located.

SMPD Detectives continue to work diligently to connect these suspects to all appropriate crimes related to this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact San Mateo Police Department:

SMPD Investigations - 650-522-7650
Secret Witness Line - 650-522-7676
Text Anonymously - 650-262-3473
Email Anonymously - [email protected]


Please report crimes to San Mateo PD at 650-522-7700 or file a report online: http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/index.aspx?NID=1183

As always, if you need emergency assistance, please dial 911.


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Please help us make your neighborhood safer and take a stand against crime. Please report all criminal behavior, join a neighborhood watch program, and help anyone that might fall victim to a crime. If a Neighborhood Watch doesn’t exist on your block, you can start one with help from SMPD. For additional information about the City of San Mateo Neighborhood Watch Program, call Sergeant Dave Norris at (650)522-7626 or visit our web www.cityofsanmateo.org




This ‘Press Release / Community Information' is being sent to you by The Public Information Office of the San Mateo Police Department. We at the SMPD take pride in alerting our community partners about activities and current events relevant to neighborhood incidents.