Two burglary suspects taken into custody in San Jose last week may be linked to several recent break-ins around the Bay Area and stolen property worth at least $300,000, police said Thursday.
The two men, both from Southern California, were arrested Dec. 6 after San Jose police deployed additional officers in the Evergreen and Silver Creek neighborhoods, which had seen an uptick in burglaries.
After a break-in was reported in the 3000 block of King Estates, officers spotted a vehicle matching the description of one used in burglaries earlier that evening.
When police pulled the car over near Fontanoso Way, the suspects got out and ran into a nearby creek area and field.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
A police helicopter helped lead officers to the suspects, who had hidden in heavy brush.
Daemori Hunt, 20, of Moreno Valley, and Dametrius Batchelor, 23, of Riverside, were arrested without incident, police said.
A search of their car turned up property that was allegedly taken during recent burglaries, including cash, jewelry, and high-end purses. The items will be returned to victims of the thefts, police said.
Local
The suspects are believed to be linked to at least seven other recent residential burglaries in San Jose, and potentially connected several additional burglaries in the Bay Area with an estimated loss of at least $300,000.
"This is an amazing coordinated effort by patrol officers, burglary suppression officers, financial crimes unit detectives and our invaluable Air 3 officers that leveraged technology and equipment to locate these suspects and take them into custody without incident," said San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata.
Anyone with information about the cases or similar cases is asked to contact Detective Roberson #3658 of the San Jose Police Financial Crimes, Burglary Unit via email: 3658@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 537-1315.
Crime tips may remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or on www.siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org. If the information you submit leads to an arrest, a cash reward may be available from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.
