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Uploaded: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 4:50 PM
Burglary victim speaks out about break-in
Precautions did not keep 'athletic' thieves from gaining entry to Palo Alto home
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by Sue Dremann
Palo Alto Weekly Staff
Palo Alto burglars apparently adhered to the old postal adage about neither rain nor sleet nor snow keeping them away during a morning burglary -- and neither did locked windows and gates. The victim is speaking out to let people know they must remain vigilant if the crooks are to be caught.
A burglar or burglars struck the home in the 1600 block of University Avenue near San Francisquito Creek at the height of Wednesday's downpour between 8:40 and 10:30 a.m., according to Palo Alto police Officer Marco Estrada.
To gain entry, the burglar or burlgars reached over a 6-foot-high side gate and fiddled with a lock until they were able to get it open, according to the resident, who detailed the burglary to the Weekly Thursday morning, Nov. 29.
The burglars smashed a kitchen window and leapt up (the window is higher than a usual first-story level) and stole jewelry and electronics of an undisclosed value.
"It took someone with athleticism," she said.
The resident said the aggressiveness of the break-in surprised her, both because the family had taken recommended precautions by locking their double-paned windows and gate and because the theft occurred at the height of a major storm.
"People think the bad weather will keep them away -- I did -- but the rain is not a deterrent. It was pouring during that period. The house was empty for only two hours," she said.
She was speaking out to let residents know that vigilance is the key to stopping the burglaries, she said.
"The only way to catch them is to have your neighbors watch out for each other," she said.
She said the lock was not cut, but that the person had to spend some time trying to figure out a reasonably sophisticated locking mechanism.
Vigilant neighbors or passers by might have been able to notice the strangers at the gate, she said.
"They were standing in the side yard monkeying with the lock. It's not something that was done quickly," she said.
The victim said that people assume someone coming through a side gate is a worker, such as a gardener or repair person, but that might not be the case.
Anyone coming through a side gate should be suspect, especially if he or she is carrying something, she said.
"I just think right now I would take out my camera and take a picture if I saw someone coming from a side yard. I would say, 'I'm sorry, but my house was just burglarized,'" she said.
Vigilance is important to personal safety, she said. When her husband returned home, he noticed the gates were open and suspected someone might still be on the property.
The police investigation by the city's new burglary task force was thorough and highly professional, she said.
"We were very impressed by the officers who came out and how seriously they take this. They looked at every possible detail," she said.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Mr.Recycle, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Nov 28, 2012 at 11:13 pm Maybe the rain will do what the police can't - slow down burglaries for a few days.
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Posted by Antoine Dodson, a resident of another community, on Nov 29, 2012 at 6:57 am wow recycle, you have all the answers don't you?
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Posted by Merna, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 8:28 am [Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
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Posted by McGrude, a resident of another community, on Nov 29, 2012 at 9:51 am @Merna
Stole "thousands" in "electronics and jewelry".
All you need to steal is one MacPro and a cheap necklace to make that statement true. Do you put your cheap necklaces and your computer in a safe in your home?
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Posted by close&lock, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 10:17 am @Mema, Perhaps they shouldn't lock/close the window. Repair cost could run up to a thousand!
Anyway I find people (Not students) walking with backpack everyday on University ave rain or shine!
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Posted by Enough, a resident of Menlo Park, on Nov 29, 2012 at 10:18 am I can't stand the criticism of the victims and the police. Where is the harsh criticism of the THIEFS ??????
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Posted by resident , a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 10:33 am This kind of activity is only going to get worse. It is a direct result of the poor economy, and you can bet 2013 will be a financial disaster for our country. Palo Alto is prosperous so we are a magnet for those who feel entitled to take whatever they want, either through break-ins or taxes.
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Posted by Allen Edwards, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 10:45 am My house was burgled once and it was in the rain. I think rain may actually help burglars as it keeps witnesses away. One of the problems here is living on the creak. I once had a boss who lived on the creak and his house was broken into at least once a year. He put an alarm up on all the interior doors and that stopped it.
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Posted by Enough!, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 11:00 am Perhaps you shouldn't blame the victims and the cops. Blame the ignorant narcissistic thugs who feel entitled to appropriate the property of others, and blame yourselves next time you think that burglary is a crime of materialism and should not be subject to strict punishment. It's not the lost crap that matters as much as the intense feeling of violation and a sense of security you never get back.
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Posted by neighbor, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 11:46 am There is no possible excuse for this crime of burglary.
My question: does these homeowners feel they were targeted (had been cased before or were known to have certain items like jewelry or whatnot) or was this strictly a crime of opportunity? It appears the criminals spent quite a bit of time - were persistent - getting into and robbing this particular home.
Are we all "equal" as targets(homeowners or apartment renters)or are there major differences in where these bad guys break in? - Like for example, where I live, there are some cars around that make it appear there are more people there than may be the case sometime. On University Ave, I assume personal cars are not visible but there IS traffic going by...though there are some very large, private lots. Any insights to help us gauge our risk, anyone?
Thanks to the homeowners for sharing what happened - sorry for your loss.
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Posted by McGruff, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 12:20 pm "Community" is so very important to successfully fight against crime. That's why PA is having a tough time. Too many solo acts not wanting to associate much with their neighbors...everyone in it for themselves. Good luck.
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Posted by hmm....., a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 12:54 pm These people very clearly were targeted. Unfortunately, nearby construction often is associated with increases in local breakins ....
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Posted by Mr.Recycle, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 1:29 pm @resident of crescent park - if you think it is because of the economy, why didn't crime spike 3 years ago when the economy was much worse, unemployment higher, etc.. Crime is spiking because the police force has been cut (not just here, but all around the bay). I'm sure the weakening of the three strikes law isn;t going to help either.
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Posted by musical, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 2:38 pm Given the weather and such a high gate and having to break and climb through a high window it is fortunate that the crook didn't hurt himself. This could have devolved into an expensive lawsuit. We are confronted with an asymmetric situation, where one side has everything to lose and the other side risks very little.
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Posted by Merida, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 4:18 pm We have had neighbors burglarized, some of them twice. Most recently, a neighbor across the street and one next door were burglarized the same week.
We have always had at least one big dog, and in 20 years have never had a break-in. We even had a golden retriever, who rarely barked and was almost a welcome mat, alerted us to the fact that something was wrong next door on several occasions. Turned out the mother and father were physically abusing their small daughter! That dog would lay down, stare toward the fence between the two houses, and growl in a deep voice. We and the neighbors on the other side called the authorities a couple of times, and soon these people had a for sale sign on their house and announced that they were moving back to Japan. Probably not because of the dog, but dogs do have an innate sense of knowing when all is not well. Cheap insurance that loves you back.
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Posted by Jane, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 4:53 pm Nearby construction is the perfect recipe for having your home burglarized. The construction workers get to know the schedules of the nearby neighbors. It's not always contruction workers, but they certainly get to know the neighbors cars, schedules, habits, etc. And when you call the PA Police Department if you see suspicious looking people in the neighborhood, you get a lecture on "civil rights."
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Posted by musical, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Nov 29, 2012 at 6:23 pm Key words to say are "suspicious acting" not "suspicious looking", even though there may be no difference.
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Posted by Victim, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Nov 30, 2012 at 8:01 am I'm the burglary victim, and no, we don't think we were specifically targeted (there is no reason why we would be). Also there was no nearby construction. We believe we simply weren't at home when the burglars knocked on our door. It is also obvious from our backyard that we have a large dog who happened to be out for a walk at the time. The police responded almost immediately, did an incredibly careful review of the scene, and are VERY serious about these crimes - we were both thankful and impressed with their skill.
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Posted by Palo Altan, a member of the Palo Alto High School community, on Nov 30, 2012 at 8:25 am Wow, how rude for people to think construction workers are criminals! Get real!
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Posted by Wayne Martin, a resident of the Fairmeadow neighborhood, on Nov 30, 2012 at 10:31 am So much for “Lock It Or Lose It”.
People need to:
1) Photograph and thoroughly describe all of their valuables.
2) Please these photos in a safe place (such as an on-line storage box).
3) Invest in some sort of a safe, if the have “thousands” of dollars of jewelry.
4) Consider moving their valuables to a safe deposit box in a bank.
5) Invest in a home security system of some sort.
6) Make certain that they have a home-owner’s insurance policy that covers the loss of their personal possessions.
7) Make certain everyone who is employed on the premises has provided a full resume, and agrees to fingerprints and a picture, for your files—which are kept off-site.
The Police should:
1) Hire some private sector patrols to increase their presence about town.
2) Provide better documentation to the public about these break-ins.
3) Offer cash for leads.
4) Begin to promote home security systems—rather than “Lock It Or Lose It”
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Posted by Anonymous, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 30, 2012 at 10:03 pm My house has an alarm system, multiple video cameras and a dog. My goal is for burglars to hit a different house.
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Posted by Jennie, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Dec 1, 2012 at 1:55 pm Maybe this might be the best way to deter our neighborhood burglars....
Web Link
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Posted by Edgarpoet, a resident of Mountain View, on Dec 2, 2012 at 2:31 pm anybody who does not have the millions of dollars amassed by these
palo alto wealthy are considered "criminals" whether we are
honest workers, clergy or anybody sleeping in a car!
Sad isn't it?
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