Menlo Park Smash-and-Grab Burglary Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

By Bay City News Service:

A Daly City man pleaded not guilty Monday to several charges stemming from an attempted smash-and-grab break-in at a camera store in Menlo Park early Sunday morning, San Mateo County prosecutors said.

Joshua Lincoln Nelson, 46, has been charged with burglary, vandalism, vehicle theft, larceny, resisting arrest, possession of burglary tools and drug offenses. He will be represented by San Mateo County’s Private Defender Program, according to prosecutors.

Around 5 a.m. Sunday, Nelson allegedly backed a stolen Zipcar pickup truck through a glass door of Mike’s Camera at 715 Santa Cruz Ave. Nothing was stolen, but the damage to the business is estimated at $9,000, prosecutors said.

When officers arrived, Nelson was wearing a ski mask and had a pair of bolt cutters near the door. He ran 20 yards into the parking lot but stopped when threatened with a Taser stun gun.

Nelson was allegedly in possession of a crack pipe at the time of his arrest, according to the district attorney’s office.

The reporting party initially said two people were involved in the break-in and Nelson told police he had a female accomplice that made it into the store, but officers were unable to locate a second suspect, prosecutors said.

Inside the truck, investigators found the address of another high-end camera store in Berkeley that experienced a similar smash-and-grab burglary Saturday. They also found a $300 battery reported stolen from that location, according to the district attorney’s office.

Nelson is scheduled to appear in court again for a preliminary hearing on April 6. His defense attorney could not be immediately reached for comment today.

(Image via Shutterstock)