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Teens arrested in string of San Jose smoke shop burglaries
San Jose police said six teenagers have been arrested in a string of smoke shop burglaries in the city.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose police have arrested six teens in connection with a string of commercial burglaries, where the modus operandi has been to smash into stores and smoke shops with stolen cars in order to steal the merchandise inside.
The names of the minors will not be made public, but they were booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall on burglary and firearm charges, as two guns were also found while searching their homes, police said on Tuesday.
One adult, Vincent Loredo, 45, of San Jose was also taken into custody on suspicion of firearm, narcotic and child endangerment charges.
Police released a short video compilation of various Kias and Hyundais being driven into store windows to gain entry into the stores. Some of these stores were right outside San Jose City Hall.
The suspects then stole merchandise and got away in their stolen vehicles, police said.
San Jose police officers said they have investigated 26 commercial burglaries from March to August.
The manager at the Santa Clara Smoke Shop in downtown San Jose says last year, someone burglarized his store using a vehicle to bust through the storefront. He says it costs about $8,000 to $10,000 to repair the damages.
"Somebody was driving a truck, and they decided to back up the truck and hit the front of the store, breaking in. Most likely they were looking for ATM machines," said Yuas Alghurbani, Santa Clara Smoke Shop Manager.
Just a few blocks away, the owner of Neu2U Thrift Boutique and President of the East Santa Clara Street Business Association, says her store was also burglarized in 2021. Shortly after, she added these iron gates for an added layer of security.
"I think it’s really sad but what I’m actually excited about is this is just going to force business owners to be a little more participant in our community. There’s a lot of people who say it’s not my problem. They have a blind eye to it and it’s not cool. It’s about the community coming together and speaking up," said Chris Patterson-Simmons, East Santa Clara Street Business Association President.
Police also say they believe these suspects are responsible for several other burglaries outside of San Jose.
If anyone has more information or video in connection to this case, contact San Jose Police Burglary Unit at 4338@sanjoseca.gov or 408-277-4521; or Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.
Vincent Loredo. Photo: San Jose police