Willow Glen Resident

News

Neighbor's watchful eye leads to one arrest in mail theft

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

Three daytime thieves underestimated the neighbors on Bennett Way in Willow Glen. As a result, San Jose resident Sandi Grecu, 44, was apprehended and charged with petty theft. The police are still seeking a man and another woman.

For San Jose Police Capt. Jack Farmer, in charge of the case, this success couldn't have happened without a partnership between the residents and police.

"It was an unstoppable team," Farmer said. "I couldn't have been more pleased."

He said the thieves drove into the neighborhood looking for an opportunity to steal something. Two packages had been left on Willow Glen resident Patrick Love's front porch on April 10.

Love's neighbor, Marci Murphy, spotted the strangers. Murphy had been at home watching her three children when a light blue or blue-gray older model Lincoln or similar car drove by her house.

"I'd never seen that car, especially at that time of the day," Murphy said. The car pulled up to Love's home and a woman got out and walked up to his porch and took the packages. Murphy observed this from her front window and took down the license number, a description of the two women and man in the car and told Love about the incident when he came home.

"I called the police that night, and they sent an officer out to take a report," Love said.

Love wanted to make sure the incident did not get lost in a stack because it's considered a low priority, so he called San Jose District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager's office and spoke to his aide, Tony Filice, the following day.

"I asked who the police captain of our area was and how to contact him," Love said. "Tony started the ball rolling."

Filice then directed Love to Farmer.

This is not the first crime of this type to happen in Willow Glen. For over a year, a rash of "crimes of opportunity" has hit local neighborhoods.

"It has become an epidemic in the neighborhoods," Love said. "It's just not acceptable for people to drive by and steal your belongings."

Both Love and Murphy noted that at the beginning of the month, another neighbor off Bennett Way had a sign in his front yard that simply read: "Please return my packages, no questions asked."

During the summer of 2005, residents in North Willow Glen also had packages stolen.

Officer Phillip White of the Crime Prevention Unit says there are a few things neighbors can do to prevent these kinds of crimes.

"The best bet is to never allow packages to be dropped off at your home unattended," White said. "We think it's a good idea to have a required signature for pick-up or a person to receive the packages."

But if a crime is observed, White said to call 311 immediately to get things moving.

To make anonymous tips on possible crimes of opportunities, call the Crimestoppers hotline at 408.947.STOP.