Police Investigate Flare Gun Attacks On San Ramon Homes
SAN RAMON (KPIX 5) -- Police in the East Bay are asking for help finding the person or people responsible for firing a flare gun at more than half a dozen San Ramon homes early Sunday.
Surveillance video shows someone was driving around the residential streets of San Ramon firing a flare gun at houses.
It was an unusual crime for the typically quiet East Bay suburb.
San Ramon resident Mike King said the incident happened just after 12:30 a.m. early Sunday morning at his home off Estero Drive.
"I heard a pop outside and then a real bright light in my window here," said King.
One of the flares hit the window only a few feet from where King was sitting.
"It's a dual pane window, so it broke through one pane of glass," explained King. "There's kind of a streak here where the flare fell down and burned a hole kind of in the glass here."
At least half a dozen homes on the south side of town were targeted, with some sustaining damage that ranged from with broken glass to burn marks on exterior walls.
Houses on Yosemite Avenue, Aptos Drive and Cree Court were hit in addition to King's home on Estero Drive.
Amazingly, no one was hurt and there was no major fire damage.
"Might be random. This is a great neighborhood to live in. We haven't had this type of problem," said area resident Jack Worthington.
Flare guns are designed to shoot a flare straight into the air as a rescue signal. They're not supposed to be a weapon.
Police are trying to figure out who is behind the attacks and why they are using a flare gun.
"I have never heard of this happening in San Ramon," said San Ramon Police
Cpl. Mike Pistello. "To be quite honest I've never had it happen in my career, so it's definitely something that's rare."
Some residents said the incident is making them want to increase their home security.
"I was already thinking of getting some outdoor surveillance cameras and this might be a good time to do that," said King.
San Ramon police said the car used in the attacks was a late 90's light-colored Nissan Sentra sedan.
Authorities don't have a description of the person driving the car, so police are asking anyone with information or additional surveillance video to contact the department.
