Burglars enter through Verizon store roof, steal $138,000 in merchandise

CUPERTINO, Calif. (KTVU) - The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office has arrested two men in connection with a daring burglary at a Verizon store in Cupertino. Two burglars went to extreme lengths entering through the roof and cutting through a metal door to steal more $138,000 in merchandise.

Deputies said the two burglars were bold and brazen. Plywood now covers where they entered through the roof, cutting a hole at the Verizon store in Cupertino.

“We should check to see if Tom Cruise is in between movies and needed a new phone, because that's very usual and very creative,” said Gail Lowell of Cupertino.

It happened Monday around 5:45 a.m.  In the back of the building, the thieves may have gotten on top of the roof with a ladder. The ladder has a brand new lock.

“Not my time in the sheriff’s office,” said Sgt. Rich Glennon of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, “I haven't heard of anything like this. It definitely requires some pre-planning, probably some prior knowledge of the actual building.”

The Sheriff’s Office said the burglars, armed with power tools,  used a saw to cut through a metal storage door . They then swiped 189 items including iPhones, iPads, and Samsung Galaxy phones, worth $138,000.

“I’m just surprised,” said Betty Simons who works at Perfect Dental. “It's like it came through a movie. It's something that doesn’t happen here in Cupertino.”

The sheriff’s office said the men exited through a door using trash cans to transport the items to their car. Deputies caught up with them 10 miles away underneath the Southwest Expressway on Meridian Avenue in San Jose.

Inside their Silver Lexus, in the backseat and in the trunk were the stolen goods. Sources told KTVU one of the items had a tracking device which led to their capture.

“That’s why I think it's kind of foolish for a burglar to go after I-Phones,” said Lowell. “They got too much security right now.”

Deputies arrested 40-year-old Tran Nguyen of San Jose. Nguyen is currently being held on a $120,000 bail. Deputies also arrested 38-year-old Marc Tran of American Canyon.

“It’s a cat and mouse game,” said Sgt. Glennon. “These suspects and crooks think of ways to beat the system and the system tries to catch up with new protocols and different ways to apprehend them.”

In light of what happened, Verizon hired a security guard to man the store inside. Deputies are now working with other Bay Area law enforcement to see if these men are connected to other burglaries.