Tool theft victims sought after East Bay resident arrested in San Mateo

SAN MATEO — An attempted burglary early Tuesday led to the arrest of three East Bay residents, including a 16-year-old Oakland boy, and the recovery of thousands of dollars worth of stolen tools, police said.

Police said Wednesday they determined some of the stolen property belonged to San Mateo County residents and the suspects may be connected to burglaries in Hayward and other East Bay cities.

Police said around 1:17 a.m. Tuesday, dispatchers received a call of an active vehicle break-in in the 400 block of North Bayshore Boulevard. The suspects broke the window of a work truck and attempted to steal tools from the vehicle.

As officers responded, the suspects got into a white Dodge Charger with a paper license plate and fled northbound on Bayshore Boulevard before police arrived.

Police teams arriving at the scene found camera recordings of the suspects and the vehicle they were driving. Officers continued to search for the suspect vehicle and located it approximately 30 minutes later at the intersection of Hillsdale Boulevard and South Norfolk Avenue.

When the driver of the Charger saw police, he immediately fled and drove onto northbound Highway 101, then onto eastbound Highway 92 and was stopped by officers near the Edgewater Boulevard exit. Three suspects were taken to police.

Officers discovered the Dodge Charger had previously been reported stolen out of Fremont on Nov. 17 and the back seat was filled with suspected stolen tools, tool bags and toolboxes.

The driver of the stolen vehicle, a 24-year-old Hayward man, and two passengers, the teenager and the 25-year-old Oakland man, were arrested on suspicion of multiple charges, including auto theft and criminal possession of a vehicle. stolen vehicle. The adults were transported to the San Mateo County jail and the teen was released to a guardian.

While the investigation continues, police teams are trying to find the owners of the stolen goods. Police said anyone who believes they are being targeted by suspects should first report to local law enforcement, then call San Mateo police with the case number at 650-522-7700.

Staff writer Rick Hurd contributed to this report.