By Khalida Sarwari
Sometimes looking out your window at your neighbor’s house can be a good thing. In the case of one resident on Thelma Avenue last week, it was a very good thing; the extra set of eyes resulted in the individual saving money and valuables.
A woman called the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office around 11 a.m. on Aug. 25 to report that she had just seen a couple of males sneaking into the side yard of her neighbor’s house in the 20000 block of Thelma Avenue, according to Sgt. James Jensen, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
The neighbor also mentioned that she saw a white sedan parked in front of the house with a woman sitting in the driver’s seat.
Jensen said deputies arrived within minutes but it appeared to be too late; they didn’t find any of the suspects hanging around.
But luck wasn’t on the bad guys’ side that day. Some of the deputies caught one male matching the description the neighbor had given deputies at a bus stop a few blocks away, said Jensen. He had jewelry and foreign currency that appeared to be stolen in his possession. As the deputies were slapping handcuffs on him, a woman walked up to the officers and confessed that she’d been involved in the burglary, according to Jensen. Deputies believe she was the woman sitting in the sedan. A pair of handcuffs went around her wrists, too.
Deputies seized the stolen property and both she and her accomplice were booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on burglary and conspiracy charges. Jensen identified the woman as a 19-year-old from San Jose and the male as a 22-year-old from Oakland. Jensen said he doesn’t know how the two are acquainted or know the third suspect, who is apparently wanted by multiple agencies for various crimes, including robbery.
Deputies are still looking for the third suspect. It’s unclear how he fled the scene, said Jensen.
The incident prompted authorities to order residents in the area to lock their doors and windows while they set up a perimeter and brought several K-9 units to search the neighborhood. A total of 44 deputies and detectives were assigned to the case. As of Aug. 31, detectives were still investigating.
Jensen commended the neighbor for her “timely actions.”
“We want to thank the neighbor for calling us promptly,” said Jensen.
Link: Burglars hit home, but neighbor’s quick action limits potential losses
