Police: Rash Of Home Burglaries In San Ramon, Dublin May Be Connected
DUBLIN (KPIX) - A recent rash of home burglaries in the San Ramon and Dublin areas has some residents on edge.
Police in both communities say the crimes could be connected because of the similarities in how the crimes are being committed.
One of the most recent victims says he can't believe how quickly it happened at his house.
"You can see that somebody, scraped their muddy, and then here are the footprints. These are all their footprints," says Shashi Bubna.
Bubna. says he and his wife were only gone from their Dublin home for a few hours on September 25, when they got a call from their security alarm company around 8:45 p.m.
"There's somebody in the house. Call the police, and I'm going home," says Bubna.
When he and his wife got back, they saw the back door had been smashed and someone had been inside.
"They went straight to the master bedroom. All the drawers were open."
Police in Dublin and San Ramon say they've seen a number of similar burglaries over the past few weeks.
"They'll knock, and if no one comes to the door, then they'll go around to the rear yard, then they'll smash the sliding glass door," says Sgt. Michael Schneider with the San Ramon Police Department.
That's exactly what happened at a San Ramon home in Windemere with a shattered glass door, ransacked house, and all the jewelry -- gone.
"They want to get into your home, take what they can, and get out," says Sgt. Schneider.
Police say the best way to protect yourself is to use technology like Ring or Nest doorbells. Answer the door if someone knocks, put lights on timers inside the house to make it look like you're home, and keep an eye out for anything or anyone suspicious in the neighborhood.
"If you see it, report it. It's no bother for us to come out," says Sgt. Schneider.
Shashi Bubna says in addition to the home security system, he's installing 4 outdoor cameras to deter future burglars.
"We need to do something more than what we've been doing, because it's happened to such and such person, such and such person, but it doesn't hit you that much, until it happens to you," he says.
Shashi says they were lucky because the burglars didn't really take anything. They don't keep jewelry or cash in their home.
San Ramon Police say they haven't really seen a significant increase in the number of burglaries over this same time last year. They say these types of crimes generally happen in waves, and it's only a matter of time before they arrest whoever is responsible.
