Santa Clara police arrest suspect in dozens of storage unit break-ins

By Tim Fang

A man suspected in dozens of storage-unit burglaries in the city of Santa Clara and in other communities has been arrested, police said.

In a statement Wednesday, officers said the investigation began on Feb. 23, when officers identified a series of storage unit burglaries. Detectives determined that the suspect burglarized 35 units over a three-day period.

Using automated license plate readers, detectives said they were able to identify the suspect vehicle and confirmed the suspect was linked to similar thefts in “multiple jurisdictions.” The detectives said they linked the suspect to approximately 75 burglaries.

Authorities obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect along with search warrants for the suspect’s home and storage units. Following surveillance, detectives found the suspect and made an arrest.

During searches of the suspect’s storage units and vehicle, police said they found what they described as a “large amount” of stolen property. Police also found stolen firearms, including a homemade assault rifle, ammunition, street narcotics, memorabilia, identity theft documents and burglary tools.

Police have not released the suspect’s name.