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Man dressed as package delivery driver cases Milpitas home - burglars follow
A man dressed in what appears to be a package-delivery uniform is suspected of serving as a lookout for burglars who then broke into a Milpitas home.
MILPITAS, Calif. - A home in Milpitas was burglarized not long after a man dressed as a package-delivery driver repeatedly knocked on the door, apparently to see if anyone was home.
"It's upsetting beyond words. It's very emotional," said burglary victim Donna Kato.
It may have looked like a routine delivery from Amazon on Sept.16. Surveillance video shows a man wearing what appears to be a standard company outfit.
But instead of leaving the package at the door and taking a picture of it, he stays there — and keeps knocking.
"This impostor Amazon person was banging at my door, trying to determine if anyone was home," Kato said.
Burglars arrive after apparently fake delivery driver leaves
What we know:
Kato was not home at the time and was not expecting any Amazon delivery. The man at the door left when he didn't get an answer. A half-hour later, a Chevy Cruze pulls up outside.
Two guys wearing masks get out, while the driver stays behind.
They used a side gate to get into the backyard and then shattered a sliding glass door.
"And then after that, all my cameras, all my Ring cameras went down, and my alarm system was put offline," Kato said.
The intruders found an unbolted safe in her bedroom closet. Among the items inside were her late mother's diamond, emerald and gold necklace and wedding ring, a watch and important documents, like passports, birth certificates and a marriage license.
"I kept all my valuables there. My mother's heirloom jewelry, which is irreplaceable, that's the most important part to me," Kato said.
Video shows the thieves struggling to put the safe in the car after hauling it out of the house.
"They dragged the safe, and it's very heavy. It left marks on my floor. It took, you know, two or three guys to pick it up and put it into the car," Kato said.
Amazon weighs in
What they're saying:
Amazon says it's looking into whether there were any drivers in the area at the time. The company says drivers normally don't knock on doors unless it's prearranged or requested by customers.
Private investigator Marc Hinch of Stolen 911 is a former CHP officer whom Kato hired to help find her stolen property.
"They just kind of come in, blend in, they're just gonna hope no one's gonna see them," Hinch said. "They went for it and they got lucky, they found an unbolted safe and were able to get it out of the house. I don't think they were planning on that, because why bring Chevy Cruze? You saw the trouble they had getting the safe into the car."
According to the Milpitas police report, license plate readers captured the car first entering Milpitas hours before the break-in. Hinch believes the crew could have cased other homes.
For Kato, she hopes the stolen jewelry turns up and that she regains her sense of safety.
"This was going to be my forever home, you know. Now it feels, it feels violated and less safe," she said.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on X @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: KTVU reporting, Milpitas police, private investigator Marc Hinch