Petaluma Man Caught With Burglary Tools, Looking Into Car: Police

PETALUMA, CA — A Petaluma probationer was arrested early Monday morning after an officer patrolling an Eastside neighborhood caught him with burglary tools, police said in a news release. At 12:08 a.m., as the officer was on patrol in the area of Willow Drive, he saw two people looking into a parked car and decided to make contact with them, police said.

Twenty-five-year-old Logan S. Reece — as he was later identified by the Petaluma Police Department — was riding a bicycle and the other person was walking, according to police.

The officer determined that both Reece, who had a flashlight and a flexible metal rod in his hand, and the other person were on probation with terms that allowed a search of their persons, police said.

The tool Reece had was determined to be a "slim jim," police said, which is a tool commonly used to gain access into locked vehicles.

When the officer searched Reece’s backpack and allegedly found narcotic paraphernalia, Reece was arrested and taken to Sonoma County jail, police said.

The incident followed several recent reports of automobile thefts and burglaries in this area and other neighborhoods, according to the Petaluma Police Department. Besides targeting valuable items left in vehicles overnight, thieves have been targeting vehicles with garage door openers left inside the vehicle, police said.

Residents are reminded to lock their vehicles and to not leave any valuables in their vehicles. Police said it is best for residents to park in their driveways, and suggested having motion-detector lighting on the exterior of homes.

Photo courtesy Petaluma Police Department