Residential Burglaries Investigated In Walnut Creek

WALNUT CREEK, CA — The Walnut Creek Police Department asked residents to take precautions to keep their homes safe after officers responded to two residential burglaries and an attempted burglary Friday night.

Officers responded to the first break-in when an audible burglary alarm sounded at 9:09 p.m. Friday at a home in the 600 block of Rock Oak Road. Officers found a rear sliding glass door smashed and the interior of the home was rummaged through. No one was home at the time of the burglary. A witness reported seeing a black Mercedes sedan parked near the residence with three people in it.

Then at 9:30 p.m., a resident who was arriving home on Windchime Court called police to report seeing a small black sedan in the middle of the street with people in dark clothing running away from a neighbor's home.

The subjects got into the car and drove away with their headlights off.

That resident checked their home and found the rear sliding glass door smashed and an upstairs bedroom rummaged through, police said.

Guns may have been stolen in one of the burglaries but police were still investigating.

"It appears the suspects are targeting homes that are very dark during evening hours when residents may be out dining or shopping," Walnut Creek police Lt. Bruce Jower said in a news release.

Ways to deter burglars include keeping a car parked in the driveway, keeping your home well-lit at night and keeping your backyard gates locked.

Police also said residents should not keep valuables in their bedrooms, which are usually targeted first in a burglary.

"We are urging residents to take extra precautions and report suspicious activity to the police immediately by calling 9-1-1," Jower said.

Police asked anyone with information related to the incidents to contact Detective Sgt. Joe Njoroge at 925-256-3573.