Man Nabbed for Burglarizing Cars in Portola Valley, Police Say

By Bay City News Service:

A 39-year-old Fremont man was arrested on suspicion of burglarizing cars in the Westridge area of Portola Valley on Thursday, a San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman said.

The county’s public safety communications center received a report of a suspicious person in the driveway of a home on Naraja Way around 7:40 a.m., Deputy Rebecca Rosenblatt said. A resident reported seeing a male with a long ponytail leaving in a dark-colored Lexus, Rosenblatt said. Deputies responded to the area where they found the dark blue Lexus on Alpine Road near La Mesa Drive in the community of Ladera, she said.

While deputies were at the scene, two people in the Westridge area reported items had been stolen from their cars, Rosenblatt said. The man in the vehicle identified as Chester Brown was arrested on suspicion of auto burglary, possession of stolen property, prowling and parole violation.

Brown was on parole for a previous burglary, Rosenblatt said. Deputies searched Brown’s vehicle where they found jewelry, wallets, a laptop computer and clothing determined to be stolen from cars in the Portola Valley area, according to Rosenblatt. He was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City in lieu of $25,000 bail.