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Burglars target church parking lot, liquor store

by Dave Boyce

Burglars on Sunday smashed car windows in the St. Bede's Episcopal Church parking lot in Menlo Park and smashed glass in the front door of Sharon Heights Wine & Liquor, making off with personal items valued at around $18,000 and alcoholic beverages with an estimated value of about $30,000, Menlo Park police said.

During Sunday morning services, someone smashed the windows of five vehicles in the church parking lot at 2650 Sand Hill Road, said Nicole Acker, spokesperson for the Menlo Park Police Department.

The stolen goods included two laptop computers, a notebook computer, a cell phone, a camera, and luggage containing jewelry, clothing and household goods, all of it in plain sight inside the vehicles, Ms. Acker said.

The burglar struck between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., in a parking lot that was more packed than usual, a church spokeswoman said. To accommodate as many parishioners as possible to hear the remarks of the visiting bishop of the regional diocese, St. Bede's officials had combined the 9 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. services, the spokeswoman said.

An investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, earlier that day in the Sharon Heights Shopping Center at 325 Sharon Park Drive, someone smashed the glass in the front door of Sharon Heights Wine & Liquor and stole alcoholic beverages valued at $30,300, police said.

The incident took place sometime between 11 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday, police said, adding that the store alarm did not activate. There were no witnesses who claimed to have seen anything unusual, police said.

The stolen liquor included cognac and "high-end" wines, a store clerk said.