This site noted a police action in Orinda Tuesday morning and was only able to put all the pieces of that action together after contact with Lafayette police later in the day.
Apparently a car believed to have been used in a burglary on Reliez Valley Road in Lafayette on Dec. 14 made a return visit to the area Tuesday, spotted cruising neighborhoods in the southeast corner of the city, according to Lafayette police.
Investigators provided the license plate number and photographs of the suspect car to neighboring agencies after it was seen in the Olympic/Pleasant Hill and the Old Tunnel neighborhoods.
An Orinda Police officer spotted the car driving on Moraga Way in Orinda, verified that it was the vehicle associated with the Lafayette burglary and – with help from Moraga police – stopped the car and detained its three occupants without incident.
The three subjects were identified, one was arrested by Orinda police, a juvenile was taken into custody by Lafayette Officers and a third subject was released after being transported to BART, according to investigators.
The juvenile was later released to the custody of a parent. LPD investigators obtained a search warrant for the car and were able to collect several items of evidence, including gloves, an emergency window punch and other items of evidence. Investigators said they were later able to determine that the suspects were actively seeking a residence to burglarize when intercepted by the Orinda officer.
Nice… burglars are now carrying emergency window punches. Oh, happy day. Why was the third suspect released and taken to BART? Arrest all of them.
The window punches have been standard issue at Burglary School for some time now. We believe one person may have been arrested for an outstanding warrant, the juvenile has the rights and protections afforded someone their age and the third person was given a polite “ride out of town on the next stage” because there was nothing to hold them on. Opinion only…
I understand releasing a juvenile, but I thought you could be arrested for possession of burglary tools. Or maybe you have to be in the process of committing a burglary. If they were released and they were here previously, they’ll be back. That’s why I want them arrested… but I understand law enforcement has to follow the law.
Just jail? So far this morning we’ve had a half dozen offline requests for public flogging, time in the stocks with public shaming, and a draw and quartering – by SUV. Some folks taking this very personally…
Nice work officers! Burglars suck. Not in OUR house you don’t, uh uh!!!
They do keep coming back, don’t they?
This sounds like a win. I’ll take a win right now.
They’ll be back. Show us their pictures.