Police arrested a maintenance worker Thursday, Feb. 28, after he was photographed by a surveillance camera burglarizing an apartment the day before, according to Palo Alto police.
A woman in her 30s who had been burglarized a year ago installed a surveillance camera inside her apartment in the 300 block of Curtner Avenue. The camera is triggered via a motion sensor, then automatically emails her photographs of the suspect in her apartment.
The suspect was photographed on Wednesday, Feb. 27, stealing a digital music player and the surveillance camera itself, though not before it had already sent the images. The victim called the 24-hour dispatch center at 5:58 p.m. to report that she had been burglarized while she was at work. There were no signs of forced entry to the apartment, the police reported.
The next day officers took the photographs of the suspect to the property management company responsible for the apartment complex. An employee there immediately recognized the suspect as one of their painters, 28-year-old Victor Adrian Martinez-Lopez of Hayward. The company said Martinez-Lopez had no business entering any occupied residence, and was not scheduled to do any work at the victim's apartment complex. Martinez-Lopez did not have access to keys to any of the apartments, and officers believe that he may have entered the victim's apartment via an unlocked window. The property management company cooperated fully with the investigation.
Officers arrested Martinez-Lopez at about 5 p.m. on Feb. 28 in the 900 block of High Street. Officers located the stolen digital music player in his possession. Police booked Martinez-Lopez into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for one count of residential burglary (a felony).
Martinez-Lopez is on court probation in Alameda County stemming from a conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Police ask that anyone who may have information about this crime contact the 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.
Comments
Palo Verde
on Mar 2, 2013 at 2:29 pm
on Mar 2, 2013 at 2:29 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
St. Claire Gardens
on Mar 2, 2013 at 2:35 pm
on Mar 2, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Surveillance cameras are beginning to play a larger role in identifying bad actors trying to victimize us.
I have installed a couple of live and motion sensing HD video cameras. I have been reviewing the scenes they capture for nearly a year now. Other than an 3 AM prowler in our neighborhood a couple of months ago (which the police responded to immediately thwarting any possible crime), no other suspicious activity has been evident.
It is reassuring to see how thoughtfully most drivers, bikers, runners, dog walkers, and strollers are. The questionable actors pop right out of the scene and are recorded for all to see.
Palo Alto High School
on Mar 2, 2013 at 7:34 pm
on Mar 2, 2013 at 7:34 pm
That's fantastic, for two reasons that I didn't know existed:
1. Technology is so advanced that a person can be caught this way
2. Residential burglary is a felony
Community Center
on Mar 3, 2013 at 10:09 am
on Mar 3, 2013 at 10:09 am
This camera/ip technology is more than 10 years old. It's getting popular now because of the cost is going down over the years..
Crescent Park
on Mar 3, 2013 at 9:57 pm
on Mar 3, 2013 at 9:57 pm
Nice to read something positive every once in a while ... great job "woman in her 30s", very happy for you.
Crescent Park
on Mar 4, 2013 at 10:45 am
on Mar 4, 2013 at 10:45 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Charleston Gardens
on Mar 4, 2013 at 11:08 am
on Mar 4, 2013 at 11:08 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Southgate
on Mar 4, 2013 at 12:28 pm
on Mar 4, 2013 at 12:28 pm
"Martinez-Lopez did not have access to keys to any of the apartments, and officers believe that he may have entered the victim's apartment via an unlocked window."
Maybe. I'm guessing the management company doesn't have tight enough control of keys, and are doing some CYA.
Ventura
on Mar 5, 2013 at 10:23 am
on Mar 5, 2013 at 10:23 am
Actually, the perpetrator claimed he went in through an unlocked window. There were no unlocked windows, and a security bar was put in place so the window couldn't even have been opened from the outside. Please get your facts straight before reporting on a story.