Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Auto burglars struck several neighborhoods in Menlo Park on Sunday night (Feb. 24), according to reports from the crime log of the Menlo Park Police Department.

Six of the 12 burglaries took place in the Menlo Oaks neighborhood, and three each were reported in Sharon Heights and Suburban Park – Lorelei Manor – Flood Park Triangle.

Burglars broke into 10 of the vehicles by smashing windows, while one was unlocked. There is no information yet on the other case, police said.

Police do have information on what was stolen in six of the incidents – cash, backpacks, a wallet, packages, a laptop and a camera – but nothing for the other six.

The camera and accessories, which had a total estimated value of $1,280, were stolen from a vehicle parked on Tioga Drive in Sharon Heights, police said. The other two Sharon Heights incidents involved $130 in cash taken from a vehicle parked on Sierra Drive, and a wallet stolen from a vehicle parked on Biltmore Lane for an estimated loss of $423, police said.

The crimes reported in Suburban Park – Lorelei Manor – Flood Park Triangle involved a backpack stolen from a vehicle parked on Del Norte Avenue, two packages taken from a vehicle parked on Hedge Road, and a backpack and laptop stolen from a vehicle parked on Oakwood Place for an estimated loss of $1,300, police said.

Police have no information on what, if anything, was stolen in the six Menlo Oaks burglaries.

Detectives will be investigating these cases, department spokesperson Nicole Acker said.

/ Instagram].

By Dave Boyce

By Dave Boyce

By Dave Boyce

Join the Conversation

26 Comments

  1. This is because Prop 47 passed – they let out lots of criminals to make room – and they changed felonies to misdemeanors. Voters were somewhat misled , thinking that they were just releasing low crime marijuana abusers – but it was much much more than that
    The only way we’re gong to lower crime back down is to repeal Prop 47. Cops just chase these guys around – if they catch them at all – they are back on the street in hours.

  2. @neenee @LawnOrder : I for one am not willing to pay more taxes for more incarceration because peeps are so stupid as to leave their cars unlocked and/or valuables in plain sight.

  3. To Lawman

    Dude, the article said 6 of the 10 cars had nuthing stolen. Your comment about leaving stuff in sight makes zero sense. These car burglars are breaking windows hoping there’s something inside.

  4. > Dude, the article said 6 of the 10 cars had nuthing stolen.

    ‘dude’ – read it again – the article states that it is unknown what was stolen in 6 cases.

    “Police do have information on what was stolen in six of the incidents – cash, backpacks, a wallet, packages, a laptop and a camera – but nothing for the other six.

    Police have no information on what, if anything, was stolen in the six Menlo Oaks burglaries.”

  5. Think of a world where you were unable to keep property. You spend your paycheck on something nice only to have someone bigger and stronger than you take it away when you get it home. Why would you make any effort to accumulate wealth? Why work??

    In the USA, the government’s role is protect that right to accumulate property. That is typically done through the enactment of legislation which makes theft illegal. And, government typically backs up that legislation with incentives to comply — fines and jail time.

    But not in California. By removing the incentives, the government now finds itself unable to protect its citizens from the thief who wants what’s yours. They no longer put them in jail. To add insult to injury, the consequences for the driver — drug use — have largely been eliminated as well.

    In another thread on this board, they are actually discussing whether the cops should be stopping people on obviously stolen bicycles. Really.

    How much would you pay for jails and prisons? What an absurd question. Not a penny more than I am already paying.

    The funding answer is found in eliminating the idiotic expenditures on high speed trains to nowhere and billion dollar fish tunnels. Spend the tax dollars on the basics — protecting life and property. Courts, jails, prisons, cops, firefighters, and teachers. It is not that complicated.

    This State has lost its way.

  6. Prop 47 passed in Nov. 2014, went into effect in 2015.

    CA prison population on June 30th, 2015:

    129,182

    CA prison population on June 30, 2018? Wait for it…

    129,417

    Source: CA Dept of Corrections

    Further, several studies have shown that increases in property crime are not associated with Prop 47.

    Sources: https://news.uci.edu/2018/03/07/proposition-47-not-responsible-for-recent-upticks-in-crime-across-california-uci-study-says/

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2016/05/18/mass-release-of-california-prisoners-didnt-cause-rise-in-crime-two-studies-find/?utm_term=.eef22eee69a1

    Let’s look at some other possible causes…

    Income inequality, maybe?

    https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article226635414.html

    Systemic racism, maybe?

    https://techcrunch.com/2015/01/10/east-of-palo-altos-eden/

  7. Well,Fact Guy, i don’t see how those numbers are correct. I am also on nextdoor.com. Every single day and night , there are reports of packages stolen from porches – even people following Fed Ex and UPS around on their routes.
    Someone wrote that people should lock their cars – all these cars have had windows smashed

    The bank in Redwood City has had to install floor to ceiling bullet proof glass they have been robbed so often
    So , clearly, this is not something to just shrug at –
    Alvin Tostig hit the nail on the head – CA doesn’t care if its citizens are victims of crime – it’s that simple – and it’s that sad

  8. So math, facts and reality don’t rate compared to your feelings, which get stoked up by anecdotal noise on chat rooms?

    Well, then.

    By all means, keep living in your fear-based fantasy. But please reply to the question earlier:

    > repeal Prop 47

    How much are you willing to pay in tax increases for additional jails?

  9. Residents around here may need a dose of reality now and then. Oh my gosh, a couple of young people smashed some car windows. This area is one of the safest in the world. If you think otherwise, you will never find a feeling of security. I could literally safely walk any neighborhood from RWC to Mt View at any time of night and this includes EPA.

    I guess what I’m saying is I wouldn’t declare a state of emergency yet…

  10. Perfect answer! (in that: you have yet to address any questions about your fear-mongering!)

    Such as:
    “repeal Prop 47” – How much are you willing to pay in tax increases for additional jails?

    How many is a “bunch of times”? (hint: I only saw one in the last 6 years)

    – – –

    US bank robberies:

    2003 – 7,644
    2017 – 3,937

    Source: FBI

  11. Prop 47 is linked to increase in auto thefts – SF Chronicle
    https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Prop-47-is-linked-to-increase-in-auto-thefts-12989137.php

    Proposition 47 makes stealing a car worth $950 or less a misdemeanor – LA Times
    https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/01/californias-proposition-47-crime-and-no-consequences/

    Shoplifters taking toll on local economy after Prop. 47
    https://lompocrecord.com/news/local/shoplifters-taking-toll-on-local-economy-after-prop/article_95398fe0-111a-5698-8df4-c593ded67833.html

    Thefts rise after California reduces criminal penalties with Proposition 47
    https://www.times-standard.com/2018/06/14/thefts-rise-after-california-reduces-criminal-penalties-with-proposition-47-study-says/

    California voters had high hopes for Proposition 47, a ballot initiative that passed in November 2014 to lower criminal penalties for various property and drug offenses and thereby ease the state’s prison overcrowding problem. Although the initiative succeeded in meeting some objectives, it also triggered major unintended consequences that have harmed tens of thousands of law-abiding property owners, and it continues to inflict economic and psychological damage.
    https://www.independent.org/publications/article.asp?id=9417

  12. Now that you think you have proven that this is caused by the latest propositions:

    ***How much more in taxes are you willing to pay to keep all these people in jail?***

  13. I’m with Alvin. I’m willing to pay no more than the already country-highest tax rates we already pay. Stop the stupid bullet train to nowhere. Stop the fish tunnels. Stop paying for illegal’s benefits, food, housing and schooling. With the billions CA flushes down the toilet with those programs, we might even get a tax break at the end of the day. Even after paying for prisons.

  14. > ***How much more in taxes are you willing to pay to keep all these people in jail?***

    At least we have the answers to that simple question. Not one of the fear/scaremongers above are willing to increase their taxes even a DIME to lock away/warehouse criminals.

    Same folk who wanted to go to war in Iraq and not pay for it – we borrowed from China and Saudi Arabia to fight a useless war.

    Thanks for answering, mates.

  15. Well matey boy neenee: First, you have no idea what my position is on Iraq, so I can assume you just like to hear yourself bloviate about totally unrelated topics. Very poor logical argument.

    I want to stop paying for wasteful social programs, supporting illegal aliens, trains that will NEVER pay for themselves, and ridiculous water tunnels. If we had an efficient state government with below average taxes, i’d be happy to pay more to build prisons. But in arguably the highest taxed state in the country, I refuse to support a penny more in taxes for anything.

    So, how does that grab you neenee? BTW, if you don’t think you are paying enough, you’re free to write a check to the state or federal government. However, Warren Buffet and Tom Steyer who both think taxes are too low have never written that check…. I’d guess you fit right in there.

Leave a comment