SAN RAFAEL (KRON) — Two thieves pried through the fence of a home near Dominican University in San Rafael in the early morning hours the day after Thanksgiving, before eventually breaking into the house.
“It’s wild. This is a very safe area. Very family. A lot of kids in the neighborhood,” said neighbor Dayton Keane.
The family living here is on vacation in Florida, but the homeowner received an alert on their phone, drawing attention to strangers on the property.
“You hear about just standard packages being stolen, but this is the first you hear about someone actually trying to break into a house in this neighborhood,” said another neighbor, Adrian Martinez.
San Rafael Police Lieutenant Dan Fink says the suspects, who appear to be two men, got away with electronics and jewelry before officers showed up.
“We left the house, probably around 6:45 a.m., then we got another phone call from the resident in Florida at about 7:55 a.m., that they could see the suspects had returned to their residence,” Fink said.
Police returned with a K-9, but an extensive search yielded no results.
“People should always check with their local agency when they’re going out of town,” Fink said. “Just give the local police department a call, and say, ‘hey, I’m leaving town for a few days. Do you guys have any services regarding vacation home checks. It’s always nice to see that.”
If not for the homeowner’s surveillance system, it’s possible they would not have known about this burglary until they returned from vacation.
That’s because police say the alarm never actually sounded.
“With technology nowadays, it’s pretty cost-efficient to be able to get a whole security system, so being able to have that sort of security while you’re 3,000 miles away, I think is really vital,” Martinez said.
Both suspects were seen on surveillance video wearing grey sweatshirts and bandanas to cover their faces.