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El Cerrito police investigate home burglaries
Police in El Cerrito are investigating two residential burglaries that happened 30 minutes apart.
EL CERRITO, Calif. - El Cerrito police are investigating two home burglaries that occurred within 30 minutes of each other Wednesday evening. Authorities believe the same suspects may be responsible and are reminding residents to remain vigilant.
The burglaries occurred in nearby areas and involved similar methods of entry. Police also found surveillance footage showing the same vehicle near both homes, according to the El Cerrito Police Department.
The crimes
The backstory:
The first burglary was reported around 6:40 p.m. at a home in the 6800 block of Snowdon Avenue. Responding officers found signs of forced entry at the back of the home, but the suspects had fled.
Surveillance footage showed a newer-model black Jeep Cherokee without a front license plate driving through the area around the time of the burglary.
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About 25 minutes later, officers responded to a home in the 60 block of Wildwood Place after two suspects shattered a rear sliding glass door.
A resident was home at the time. When the suspects realized the home was occupied, they fled without taking any property.
Officers found more surveillance footage showing the same black Jeep Cherokee traveling on Wildwood Place shortly before the second burglary.
Video from a neighbor’s home showed two suspects walking toward the residence and running from the area several minutes later. One of the suspects appears to be the same person captured on surveillance footage during the Snowdon Avenue burglary.
Police are also investigating a third break-in that they believe is unrelated to the first incidents.
Watch your surroundings
What they're saying:
Police are asking residents in the areas around Snowdon Avenue, Ganges Avenue, Wildwood Place and Navellier Street to review home surveillance or doorbell camera footage from around the time of the burglaries.
Anyone who captured footage of the vehicle or people matching the suspects’ descriptions is encouraged to contact the police department.
The Source: This report is based on police statements and surveillance video of the El Cerrito burglaries, obtained by KTVU reporter Henry Lee.