Saratoga News

Traffic stop leads to arrest of three burglary suspects

By Michelle Alaimo

Two juveniles and one adult were arrested by deputies at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department's Westside Substation Aug. 27 for residential burglary, credit card fraud and two counts of possessing stolen property. Property found in the suspects' car was linked to crimes in Newark and San Jose, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputy Ron Breuss pulled over Tam Nguyen,18, shortly after 1 a.m. after noticing that Nguyen was driving a car with a headlight and taillight out. When he looked inside the car, Breuss said he saw a flashlight, screwdriver and several jacks.

"It's pretty unusual to carry the number of jacks they had," Det. Luther Pugh of the Westside Substation said.

After Breuss called for backup, a search of the car was conducted with Nguyen's consent, according to Pugh. Deputies reported they found several car jacks, screwdrivers, a camera, a wallet with two stolen credit cards, assorted jewelry in a jewelry case, a pager and a car stereo.

Deputies were able to determine that the jewelry found in the car was stolen from the home of a San Jose Sheriff's Office employee on Aug. 26. They were also able to identify the credit cards, which had been used twice, as ones stolen in Newark on Aug. 25 and 26.

Because of the number of jacks found in the car, Pugh said the police department is investigating whether the suspects are connected to an Aug. 19 incident in which all four tires, wheel locks and bolts of a vehicle were stolen in the Saratoga Creek area.

When deputies asked where other property in the car, such as a camera, came from, one juvenile reportedly said the camera was his father's. Deputies later found the juvenile's statement to be untrue, Pugh said. However, "none of the property appears to have come from any local victims," Pugh said.

The suspects were cooperative with police, Pugh added.

"All three of the suspects were on probation," Pugh said. He added that this is Nguyen's first charge as an adult and that police could not release information regarding what any of the suspects were on probation for. But he did say that one juvenile had been arrested previously for possession of stolen property, although the case never went further because San Jose police could not find any victims.

Pugh said that residential first-degree burglary is a felony that counts as one of three strikes.

Nguyen was booked on $35,000 bail. His arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 29.

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