By Sarah Lombardo
A quiet Easter Sunday morning turned into a backyard police chase as Santa Clara County deputy sheriffs from Saratoga's Westside Substation caught two men and a juvenile suspected of breaking into at least 16 vehicles in Saratoga overnight.
Juan Vasquez, 22, and Horacio Moraza, 21, were arrested last Sunday morning and charged with 9 counts of burglary. A 15-year-old, whose name was withheld because of his age, was also taken into custody.
Det. David Notari said the trio allegedly began its spree on Lutheria Way in Saratoga, stealing a cell phone from a vehicle and using it twice to call home. Police said they then hit cars on Chateau and Woodmont drives, continuing into the early morning hours of Easter Sunday. Cell phones, bags, compact discs, stereos and even two nightstands still in their boxes were taken in the heists.
"This is an unusual amount," said Notari. "These guys were definitely greedy, which is probably why we caught them."
Police were alerted to the burglaries when a neighbor's barking dogs happened to wake up resident Jesslyn Carlson at about 5:30 a.m.
"I got up and I saw this strange car across the street and this guy sitting in it with the door open," Carlson said. "This was unusual, especially for a quiet neighborhood and on Easter morning." Carlson said she woke her husband, Bob, who called 911, and then saw the man get out of his car and begin trying to cut open a neighbor's car window.
Sheriff's Deputy David Gordon arrived on the scene and arrested one suspect, who told of two more suspects. Back-up arrived, including Sunnyvale deputies with a K-9 unit. Notari said a search began for the other two, who ran through back yard after back yard. Other neighbors began flooding the department with phone calls about strangers in their yards, keeping police aware of the suspects' locations.
"These people were very astute," Notari said. "They were really good at keeping their eyes peeled."
Carol Bowman, in whose yard the suspects were at one point, said she was amazed at the fact that the burglaries were taking place in daylight hours. Four cars in her driveway were broken into.
"They weren't worried about anyone seeing them," she said. "I mean, to come right practically into your house in the day time."
Notari said the incident is a reminder to residents to always lock their cars, park in will-lighted areas and never leave valuables in cars--even if the items are not in plain sight.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, April 9, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.