Have Residential Burglaries Stopped in the Los Gatos/Santa Cruz Mountains?

It's been 12 days since the last reported residential burglary in the Los Gatos/Santa Cruz Mountains on Oct. 30 on Quail Ridge Road ...

And it's known that two African American suspects were arrested Oct. 22, not Oct. 15 as reported by sheriff's deputies at an Oct. 29 public safety meeting, in connection with the crimes.

However, residents in the remote mountainous community continue to be "jittery" about the property crime wave in their secluded neighborhoods, according to sources who declined to be identified.

The last burglary, on the Santa Cruz County side, left many nervous and wondering if there have been others.

Sheriff's deputies from both counties are saying it appears as though the criminal activity may have stopped and they have beefed up patrols in the area, said Santa Clara County sheriff's Sgt. spokesman Kurtis Stenderup.

"What else are they thinking is going on?" the source asked. "There have been reports of unknown vehicles driving around our neighborhoods, but there's been no additional burglaries."

Two San Francisco men were arrested Oct. 22 on suspicion of burglary and other crimes after leading police on a car chase from Morgan Hill to San Jose, according to Morgan Hill police.

Dennis Windham, 20, and Andre Clark, 23, taken into custody by Morgan Hill and San Jose police off of Capitol Expressway in San Jose, Morgan Hill police Sgt. Carson Thomas said.

At about 1 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 22, Morgan Hill police responded to a report of a possible burglary at a home on Oakview Circle in Morgan Hill, Thomas said.

A neighbor, who knows the owner of the home, reported seeing two men enter the rear of the house, which was unoccupied, Thomas said.

As officers arrived, they witnessed a gray Lexus drive away from the scene onto Dunne Avenue and then enter U.S. Highway 101 headed north toward San Jose, Thomas said.

The officers notified the California Highway Patrol and San Jose police, Thomas said.

The suspects' car exited Highway 101 at East Capitol Expressway in San Jose and soon crashed into another vehicle at an intersection, police said.

No one was injured in the crash.

Both suspects then got out of the car and ran into a neighborhood, with Morgan Hill and San Jose police officers in pursuit, Thomas said.

Windham was apprehended almost immediately. A perimeter was set up, and San Jose police brought in K-9 units to track Clark, Thomas said.

When a dog found Clark hiding in a yard, he jumped over a fence and landed right next to an officer, who arrested him, Thomas said.

Windham and Clark, both San Francisco residents, were arrested on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property, evading police, reckless driving and obstruction of justice, Thomas said.

Windham also was arrested on a probation violation from an earlier burglary conviction, Thomas said.

Some property from the Morgan Hill burglary was recovered from the Lexus and returned to the resident, Thomas said.

Since the first burglary was reported by Los Gatos Patch on Sept. 27, there have been at least 10 more in the area, with the last one occurring Oct. 30.

—Bay City News Service contributed to this report


ALSO ON LOS GATOS PATCH:

• Vine Hill Road Burglary Victim Comes Forward
• Residential Burglary Crime Spree Continues in Los Gatos Mountains
• Dogs Beaten During Stagecoach Road Burglary in Los Gatos Mountains
• Another Burglary Reported in Los Gatos Mountains
• Public Safety Meeting at Los Gatos Redwood Estates Following Burglaries
• Residential Burglary Crime Spree Reported in Los Gatos Mountains

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