Sting Operation in Novato Leads to Arrest of Burglary Suspect

NOVATO, CA — Police arrested a San Rafael burglary suspect Thursday after he arrived to a sting operation in Novato with a loaded semiautomatic assault weapon and his 5-year-old son in the car.

Jaime Luis Cisneros, 23, of Richmond, was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and possession of stolen property, according to a press release from the San Rafael Police Department.

The sting operation was planned in response to an overnight burglary on Dec. 3 at the Sherwin-Williams Paint Center located at 444 Du Bois St. in San Rafael. Among the items stolen was a commercial-grade paint sprayer valued at approximately $7,000.

Store employees provided officers with the description and serial numbers for the stolen items. After one employee discovered that the paint sprayer was being sold online, San Rafael police posed as a potential buyer, contacted the seller and arranged a meeting for Thursday.

Undercover detectives from the San Rafael Police Department and Marin County Task Force met Cisneros and a passenger, Francisco Calixtro-Leon, 20, also of Richmond, at the Park and Ride lot off Rowland Boulevard in Novato. According to the release, detectives matched the serial number of the paint sprayer to the serial number of the stolen property.

Calixtro-Leon was arrested on suspicion of possessing an assault weapon and possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle. Detectives are investigating additional charges for Calixtro-Leon.

The boy was returned to his mother.

Image via San Rafael Police Department