6 teenagers, adult arrested following smash-and-grab burglaries at San Jose businesses
Police investigating a series of commercial burglaries in San Jose involving vehicles driven into storefronts have arrested seven suspects, six of them teenagers - including three who were arrested less than two months ago for the same activity.
San Jose Police said detectives have investigated 26 such burglaries in the city between March and August, including many at "smoke shop" type businesses. The suspects had a pattern of using stolen Kia or Hyundai vehicles to smash into the front of the stores outside of business hours, causing major damage to the entrance. The thieves would then enter the businesses and steal merchandise before fleeing in the stolen vehicle.
Over the course of the investigation, detectives identified six juvenile suspects and obtained warrants for their arrest and to search their homes. On August 30, undercover officers arrested the suspects in San Jose and recovered two firearms and other evidence related to the burglaries, police said.
During the investigation, an adult suspect was also identified and arrested, police said. He was identified as 45-year-old San Jose resident Vincent Loredo, who was booked into Santa Clara County Jail for firearm, narcotic, and child endangerment charges. He is not suspected in the commercial burglaries, but a police spokeswoman said he is related to one of the suspects.
The teenage suspects were booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall for burglary and firearm charges. The suspects are believed to be responsible for several additional commercial burglaries outside the city of San Jose.
In July, three teenagers were arrested after a similar smash-and-grab burglary at a San Jose smoke shop on Almaden Expressway and an attempted burglary in Santa Clara that same day.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, San Jose police spokeswoman Stacie Shih said the three teens arrested in July were among the six arrested on August 30.
In June, San Jose Police arrested another suspect believed responsible for eight such incidents. The suspect, identified as Jose Cabello, was linked to a spree of smoke shop robberies in the city.
"Our Officers and Detectives tirelessly conducted follow up and gathered evidence to ensure the dozens of affected businesses receive justice," said San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata in a prepared statement. "Our Department is committed to enforcing the law, and hope that we can be part of a solution to prevent our youth from getting entangled in the criminal justice system."
Police asked anyone with any information about or surveillance video of commercial burglaries to contact Detective Gach #4338 of the San Jose Police Department Burglary Unit at 4338@sanjoseca.gov or at 408-277-4521.
