‘Operation Kickstand': SJPD arrest 10 suspects in string of Bay Area burglaries

SAN JOSE, Calif. (BCN) - San Jose police this week arrested 10 San Jose residents in connection with commercial burglaries in more than a dozen Bay Area cities since January.

Six suspects taken into custody on Thursday in San Jose and Sunnyvale were Joseph Presti, 49, Paul Neale, 33, Rodney Arrieta, 54, Lilia Mendoza, 42, Carlos Lames, 53, and Morgan Stevenson, 39.

The six were the first to be arrested as part of the crew that allegedly carried out burglaries in San Jose, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Santa Cruz, Burlingame, Los Altos, Morgan Hill, Walnut Creek, Fremont, Pleasanton, Oakland and Dublin, according to police.

The crew focused on bike shops, construction sites and school districts, police said.

The six were booked into Santa Clara County jail on suspicion of multiple felony charges, including commercial burglary. 

By Friday, police had arrested another four suspects in the burglaries.

Police served multiple search warrants at a storage locker in Sunnyvale, at three recreational vehicles in San Jose, and another in the 1600 block of Willowgate Drive, where police arrested Ramiro Lozano, 44, Andrea Reyes, 29, John Tamez, 33, and Veronica Lozano, 40.

Police said officers recovered firearms, stolen driver's licenses, narcotics, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, stolen credit cards and stolen property.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Greg Lombardo of the San Jose Police Department's burglary prevention unit at 408-537-1200. 

Tips can be provided using the tipline at https://www.sjpd.org/bputipline.

Persons wishing to remain anonymous may either call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (408) 947-STOP (7867) or submit a tip online at https://svcrimestoppers.org/. 

Persons providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect may be eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.