FREMONT — Video surveillance footage and license-plate reader data aided officers’ arrests of two men last month on suspicion of auto burglary, including one who struck during a funeral service, authorities said this week.
On Jan. 19, officers responded to Pacific Commons Shopping Center, 43440 Boscell Road, between 7:15 and 8:45 p.m. for reports of multiple auto burglaries. There, they found three cars near the shopping center on Currie and Christy streets and Boscell Road that had backpacks, a laptop bag and other items taken.
After checking footage from surveillance cameras against license-plate reader data, officers were able to identify a vehicle, name San Francisco resident Uriah Harris, 25, as a suspect and obtain a warrant for his arrest.
When officers noticed Harris in the same suspect vehicle in the Berkeley hills Feb. 1, they asked East Bay Regional Parks District police for help.
Parks police soon detained Harris on the warrant and transferred him to Fremont police, who booked him into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of multiple charges of burglary, identity theft and unauthorized use of credit charges, as well as for commission of a felony while on bail from a U.S. Park Ranger arrest at Golden Gate Park on suspicion of auto burglary.
On Jan. 22, officers responded to a funeral home in the 48800 block of Warm Springs Boulevard for a report of three victims who said their cars had been burglarized during a service.
Soon after, officers learned credit cards stolen during the burglaries were used at Walmart, 44009 Osgood Road, and Target, 43950 Pacific Commons Blvd., and used footage from surveillance cameras at businesses and license-plate reader data to identify Ahmad Samuels, 38, of Fremont as a suspect.
After getting an arrest warrant, street-crime unit officers arrested Samuels at NewPark Mall in Newark on Feb. 8 and booked him into jail on suspicion of multiple counts of burglary, identify theft and unauthorized use of credit cards.
While Harris was at Santa Rita Jail, Samuels did not appear to be in custody, according to a county records check Thursday afternoon.
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.