San Mateo County traffic stop leads to arrest of suspects from Santa Cruz County burglary
By Carlos E. Castañeda
A traffic stop in San Mateo County early Friday resulted in the recovery of stolen firearms and tools from a Santa Cruz County burglary, along with the arrest of two suspects, authorities said.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that deputies pulled over a suspicious vehicle traveling from northbound Interstate Highway 280 onto Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. During the stop, deputies observed gloves, flashlights, face masks and other items commonly used in a burglary, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies also found two stolen rifles in the vehicle and determined they were registered to a Santa Cruz County resident, the office said, and also recovered several stolen tools. The driver, identified as 25-year-old Jose E. Matute Vaquedano, was on probation for robbery and prohibited from possessing firearms, while the 27-year-old passenger, Mauricio Peralta Marin, was in possession of an illegal explosive device, the office said.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and it confirmed the rifles and tools were stolen overnight during a burglary in its jurisdiction.
Matute Vaquedano and Peralta Marin were arrested and booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City on charges of conspiracy, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, possession of an explosive device, and gun charges.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office encouraged anyone with information about the case to contact Deputy A. Ochoa at aochoa@smcgov.org. Anonymous tips can be made by calling 800-547-2700.
