San Jose: Arrests made, property recovered in storage burglaries

SAN JOSE — Four South Bay residents have been arrested in connection with a string of storage unit burglaries earlier this year that netted nearly $400,000 worth of property, a fraction of which was recovered in a series of police raids, authorities said.

The people arrested — two San Jose men and a San Jose woman all in their mid-40s, and a 19-year-old Milpitas man — were booked on suspicion of crimes encompassing burglary, grand theft, conspiracy, vandalism, and possessing stolen property.

Their homes were searched March 27 by a cadre of San Jose Police Department officers following an investigation by burglary detectives, police said.

The search reportedly uncovered $60,000 worth of stolen property, including an array of guitars and music equipment and scores of comic books and trading cards. Officers also seized a handgun, high-capacity magazine, ammunition and illegal drugs, though police noted that those items were not related to the storage thefts.

Police said detectives began investigating the suspects after a Dec. 27 attempted burglary at a storage facility in the 400 block of Lincoln Avenue by a man who tried to break into two units but was forced to flee before he could take anything.

While the investigation was underway, police said detectives determined that the same man was involved in two subsequent storage unit burglaries in January and February, along with three other people.

Following the arrests and home searches, $340,000 worth of items remain unaccounted for, according to a police news release.

Anyone with information for burglary investigators can contact 408-277-4401 or email Detective Michael Roberson at 3658@sanjoseca.gov. Tips can be left with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org.