Victim's Camera Video Of Crime Leads To Arrest

SAN LEANDRO, CA — A man eating at a San Leandro restaurant had his meal ruined on Jan. 18 when he saw his car being burglarized in the parking lot. He took out his smart phone and recorded the crime, according to San Leandro Police. The video that he provided to police showed two people and a silver Jaguar with paper plates.

Police said in a release, "The victim told police that he witnessed two African American subjects smash the rear window to his vehicle, reach inside and take a backpack containing his laptop computer."

On the midnight shift that night, a San Leandro Police officer on patrol spotted a Jaguar fitting the description in the 600 block of MacArthur Boulevard. The officer stopped the vehicle and noticed that the two occupants matched the description of the suspects in the burglary.

A search of the car turned up burglary tools and stolen property, including several laptop computers, police say. The officer was able to link some of the stolen property to another burglary that happened in Brentwood hours earlier.

The man and woman were taken into custody — 26-year-old Kevin Blocker of Stockton and 35-year-old Carmen Johnson of Oakland. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has charged both Blocker and Johnson with possession of burglary tools and possession of stolen property.

"Auto burglaries will continue to occur in our community," said San Leandro Police Lt. Isaac Benabou. "However, when preventative measures fail, we turn to reactive enforcement. This case is an example of our patrol officers staying observant, searching for wanted vehicles and suspects at all times."

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— Images via San Leandro Police Department