Burglary Crew Strikes Homes In Walnut Creek, Alamo Friday

A crew of at least three burglars working from a late model, blacked out Mercedes struck four residences in Walnut Creek and Alamo on Friday, striking at least once while the occupants were in the residence.

The thieves, all masked and wearing dark clothing, are entering the homes through rear sliders and selectively ransacking targeted residences. Sporting guns were reportedly taken from one Walnut Creek residence Friday.

A home was hit on Rock Oak Road in Walnut Creek, with two more entered in the 700 block of Windchime Court. A short time after those thefts a home in the 100 block of Stone Valley Way was broken into – one prowling thief scared off and running out the back of the home when a resident was awakened.

The crew is believed to be using a black 2020 Mercedes 4-door with tinted windows and a distinctive after-market exhaust system to move around.

Two additional attempted burglaries were reported on Corte Briones in Martinez around 10:30 p.m. though it was not immediately known if the same crew was believed involved.

UPDATE: Release issued by WCPD through their Social Media interface at 12:20pm Saturday:

Last night, the Walnut Creek Police Department responded to two residential burglaries and an attempted residential burglary between the hours of 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM. At approximately 9:09 PM, officers were dispatched to the 600 block of Rock Oak Road for an audible burglary alarm. When officers arrived, they found a rear sliding glass door smashed and the interior rummaged through. The residence was not occupied at the time of the burglary. A witness reported seeing a black Mercedes sedan parked near the residence with three subjects associated to the vehicle in the area.

At approximately 9:30 PM, a resident, who was arriving home on Windchime Court, called police to report a small black sedan in the middle of the street and three subjects in dark clothing running away from a nearby home. The subjects got into the vehicle and fled the area with their lights off. That resident checked their home and found the rear sliding glass door smashed and an upstairs bedroom rummaged through.

Firearms may have been stolen in one of the burglaries, but we are still investigating.

It appears the suspects are targeting homes that are very dark during evening hours when residents may be out dining or shopping. Keeping a car parked in the driveway, your home well-lit at night, and your backyard gates locked are deterrents. Please do not keep valuables in bedrooms, as they are usually targeted first in a burglary.