Package Thieves Caught In San Mateo During The Holidays: Police

SAN MATEO, CA — Officers chased a car full of porch pirates Wednesday morning in San Mateo, arresting all three after noticing suspicious behavior with packages in their car, police said.

At 4:05 a.m. on Wednesday, a San Mateo Police officer said he pulled over a car for suspended registration on on E. Hillsdale Boulevard, just prior to the southbound Highway 101 on-ramp.

As the officer approached the car, he noticed a number of packages in the backseat and one being hidden by the passenger in the backseat.

The officer said he believed they may have stolen the packages and questioned the driver and two passengers.

More officers arrived and the driver, later identified as Henry Bytof, began to reach towards the vehicle gear shift. Officers said they placed a vehicle disabling device under one of the tires as Bytof placed the vehicle in drive and quickly fled.

Police chased the suspects but they stopped in the area of Old County Road and Ralston Avenue in Belmont.

The three suspects fled but officers caught them, detaining all three, police said.

Police said they identified the two passengers as Brian Salonga and Joshua Taylor.

Officers said they learned the packages inside of the car belonged to multiple residences in the San Mateo area, and the car was taken without the owner’s permission. Multiple drug paraphernalia items were also found during the arrests.

Bytof was charged with vehicle theft, second-degree burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, evading a police officer with wanton disregard for safety, parole violation, conspiracy to commit a crime, obstructing or resisting a peace officer and possession of stolen property, according to the SMPD.

Salonga was charged with second-degree burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, conspiracy to commit a crime, obstructing or resisting a peace officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of stolen property, police said.

Taylor was charged with second-degree burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, conspiracy to commit a crime, obstructing or resisting a peace officer, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of stolen property, police said.