Man Charged with 8 Counts of Vehicle Burglary in Open Investigation
Photo: Jacob D. Owens
SAN LEANDRO – Police traveled to Sacramento to arrest a man on suspicion of recently committing eight vehicle burglaries at the San Leandro Marina in broad daylight.
The brazen burglaries occurred November 18 at the marina parking lot, an area with chronic vehicle break-ins. Several witnesses reported seeing car windows being smashed and a man removing items the victim’s vehicles.
One witness used a cell phone to photograph the suspect while he was burglarizing the cars, and then took photos of the suspect’s getaway car.
The same suspect is believed responsible for committing another vehicle burglary in parking lot on November 20 outside a store at 699 Lewelling Boulevard.
Credit cards were stolen from vehicles at both crime scenes.
The suspect 22-year-old San Francisco resident, Jacob D. Owens, was easily identified by police, because he was recorded by a surveillance camera using one of the stolen credit cards to make a purchase at a nearby gas station.
Owens and his vehicle were subsequently located in Sacramento, where he was detained by police, until detectives from San Leandro traveled there and took custody of him on December 5.
At the time of his arrest Owens was found in possession of burglary tools and items reported stolen from vehicles on November 18 and 20. San Leandro police said he confessed to committing the vehicle burglaries.
Owens is being held at East County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office with eight counts of vehicle burglary, and one count of fraud for using a stolen credit card. He’s scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on January 9 at the East County Hall of Justice.
His case remains open because Owens is a possible suspect in other crimes committed elsewhere in the Bay Area, according San Leandro police.
