Police Seek Thief Responsible For Rash Of Car Burglaries In San Mateo

SAN MATEO (KPIX 5) -- San Mateo Police are looking for a thief who hit about a dozen cars near the Laurelwood Shopping Center on West Hillsdale Boulevard in the early morning hours on Sunday.

Witnesses called police after hearing cars getting broken into.

"What we saw with this particular suspect is that he was walking around with a flashlight looking into every single car, so he's trying door handles. If the car was locked, he'd break the window," said San Mateo Police spokesperson Michael Haobsh.

Police say among the stolen items were a wallet, sunglasses, cash and credit cards.

"It's a nice community, I wouldn't think that that would be happening, but it's kind of happening every where," said Sharon Fernald of San Mateo.

San Mateo Police are urging residents to not leave any valuables in their cars. The thief burglarized both locked and unlocked cars.

"I grew up in Burlingame, so not too far from here, and it was really safe. We did kind of the same thing, left your front door unlocked, left the car unlocked sometimes," added Fernald. "But I think now in this time period, 2019, people are locking their cars."

Police are now relying on more video surveillance from home owners and are encouraging homeowners to invest in cameras that face the street. It may ultimately help them crack a case.