The burglars searched several rooms, taking watches, jewelry, a brown overnight bag and a 9mm handgun. They then went into the garage, got into the homeowner's 2004 Mercedes-Benz S500 sedan and drove away.

Unfortunately for them, the vehicle they had stolen was equipped with a satellite tracking system. The owner reported the theft and the car was traced to East Palo Alto. Within two hours, East Palo Alto police officers detained the driver of the stolen vehicle and the driver and passenger of a Ford Explorer that was following behind. Officers from the Santa Clara Sheriff's Department then made the arrests.

Nathaniel Stover, 33, John Palavi, 42, and Kimo Salesi, 34, were arrested on Sept. 21 and charged with auto theft, burglary and possession of stolen property.

Some of the items stolen from the home were recovered, including jewelry that was in the overnight bag. The stereo from the Mercedes-Benz had been ripped out and was found in the Ford Explorer. The handgun was not recovered.

Stover, Palavi and Salesi have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court in San Jose this month.

Detective Robert Bosworth, of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, said burglaries tend to be cyclic in nature. "They come in waves," he said. "There's no way to predict them."

Bosworth said that many people think burglaries occur at night when would-be thieves can lurk in the shadows. But burglaries commonly occur during the day when homes are vacant.

Places such as Los Gatos, Saratoga and Los Altos Hills attract burglars because they are wealthy neighborhoods where thieves can drive into town, hit homes and then drive away before the residents return from work, Bosworth explained. He said the best defense is to lock doors and windows and get an alarm system for the house.

"Be an aware neighbor and be aware of what's going on in the neighborhood," Bosworth said. "Report suspicious people and vehicles when you see them. What they count on a lot of the time is simply people not paying attention."