An alert neighbor tipped Orinda police to a carload of juveniles seen removing a small safe (not the one pictured) from a home on Crestview Drive Thursday after the youths smashed their way into the residence through a window/slider door.
Police Chief Mark Nagel said officers responded to the home “immediately” after receiving a call from the neighbor and saw a suspect vehicle fleeing the area. The car was briefly followed and then stopped and three juveniles – all from Alameda and San Joaquin counties, according to the chief – were detained and eventually arrested.
Nagel said officers found a small fire safe the neighbor reported being removed from the home in the suspect’s car, described to this site as a Toyota. A video camera was also recovered, Nagel said, and both items were eventually identified and recovered by the relieved homeowner.
Nagel said investigators were also looking into another burglary in Orinda Thursday, reported to this site as a “kick in” type break-in on Oak Road, but announced no arrests in connection with that incident. The chief said the two crimes were unrelated.
Nagel praised the neighbor for tipping police and said the three young suspects were transferred to juvenile hall in Martinez.
Did these teenagers have the day off from school for “fire safety?” And they steal a “small fire safe?” Kudos to the alert neighbor and OPD.
I’d venture to guess these “teens” hadn’t seen the inside of a classroom since 2015.
I think our safe weighs well over 1000 pounds. I thought that was part of the point of having a safe– it can’t be carted off.
@Chris – When we had ours (circa 1905) we used it to hold our Scotch supply. It was on rollers and took three guys to lift. It was also very small. Think this last one was a fire safe… and portable.
back in the day a safecracker would stay on scene and crack his box — it was almost an art form. these days guys just haul the safe away and crack it open in their backyard with torches and hammers.