Peninsula Homeowner Scares Off Burglar, Police Say

PORTOLA VALLEY, CA – A brazen daytime burglary was cut short when the thief was greeted by a homeowner in Portola Valley, the sheriff's office reports.

According to San Mateo County Sheriff's Det. Sal Zuno, the incident happened around 11:00 a.m. Thursday in the 100 bock of Wayside Road.

"Upon arrival, Deputies learned the above suspect forced entry into the home by smashing the glass on a rear door," Zuno said. "The suspect was scared off when he encountered the homeowner inside."

The suspect then took off into a waiting red sedan, which was driven by a second suspect, Zuno said.

As the incident unfolded so quickly, the homeowner wasn't able to see much of the suspect – only that he was about 6 feet tall and was wearing a dark grey hooded sweatshirt and jeans, according to Zuno.

"The vehicle was last seen traveling northbound on Portola Road," Zuno said. "An area check was conducted with no signs of the suspects."

The resident was not hurt, but some of their personal property was taken, according to the detective.

Anyone with information about this incident was asked to contact Sheriff’s Detective Jonathan Sebring 650-363-4057 or Jsebring@smcgov.org. You may also remain anonymous by calling the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Anonymous Tip Line at 1-800-547-2700.

– Image via Shutterstock