South San Franciso Man Among Those Arrested on Suspicion of Local Burglaries

Those arrested were identified as 49-year-old Joseph Smith from South San Francisco, 19-year-old Cody Karn from Redwood City and 18-year-old Justin Frolli from Redwood City.

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Three men are facing burglary charges after Belmont police say they found them in possession of stolen property at a local grocery store parking lot.

Their arrest came about around 3:48 a.m. Thursday, when Belmont Police Officers noticed a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of the Safeway Store on Ralston Avenue, near Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont Police Capt. Patrick Halleran said in a news release issued Friday.

“The vehicle contained four men wearing dark clothing that left the keys inside the car and went into the store,” the release states.

When the men were in the store, a Belmont officer headed over to look inside the 1998 Honda civic, and saw ”various items of property strewn about,” Halleran said.

Since the car was registered to a South San Francisco probationer that was contacted in the parking lot, police searched the car and found tools, electronics and various other items, which were determined to have been stolen from locations in San Carlos, according to Halleran.

“Several residents on Manor Dr, Carmelita Dr. and Chesham Ave. in San Carlos identified the property as theirs,” Halleran said. “Two of the residents had property taken from their garages and one victim reported property taken from an unlocked vehicle.”

San Mateo sheriff’s deputies then responded to assist in the case, and took custody of three of the men. A fourth was released.

“Further investigation by Sheriff’s Detectives recovered additional stolen property taken from construction sites in other areas of mid-San Mateo County,” the news release states. “This portion of the investigation is still underway and no further information is available at this time.”

Those arrested were identified as 49-year-old Joseph Smith from South San Francisco, 19-year-old Cody Karn from Redwood City and 18-year-old Justin Frolli from Redwood City.

The two teens were out on bail for another case when they were arrested, police said.