There’s been a rash of crimes committed by minors, and the San Jose police chief concedes that part of the problem is that juveniles face limited consequences for crimes like these.
On Thursday night, NBC Bay Area was on scene in San Jose’s Evergreen neighborhood, where officers busted a group of suspected car thieves, some too young to drive.
With rifles and K-9s in hand, San Jose police officers went door to door in the Evergreen community in search of four suspects who stole a car then crashed it after the cops gave chase on Thursday.
With all of the suspects being between the ages of 14 and 16, SJPD says burglars are getting younger. San Jose police Chief Eddie Garcia notes juveniles face very limited consequences, serving little to no time in juvenile hall for these types of crimes, making it easier for teens to engage in illegal activity.
All four suspects were arrested.
Residents of the Evergreen area are familiar with these types of crimes. SJPD Sgt. Eddie Chan said that two years ago, residents in the South Bay community were often being burglarized.
"When a crew gets arrested, the next one moves in," Chan said.
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Two years ago, SJPD had a shortage of officers that may have been linked to the burglaries, now, there are more cops on the street, and they vow to respond to calls like these immediately.
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