BART: Fingerprints Lead to Serial Burglary Arrest

Fingerprint evidence led to the arrest of a suspect in a series of auto burglaries at BART stations, police said today. San Leandro police initially arrested the suspect, 21-year-old Oakland resident Luis Deltoro, for auto burglary on June 21. Officers from San Leandro then alerted BART officials about the arrest, knowing that they were investigating the same suspect.

BART officials report that fingerprints have now allegedly connected Deltoro to at least three auto burglary cases in BART parking lots at the Hayward, San Leandro and Bay Fair stations.

Due to understaffing, many city police departments no longer dispatch a uniformed officer to the scene of an auto burglary to collect forensic evidence, including fingerprints. However, BART is still able to perform this service.

BART Police Chief Kenton Rainey says, “At BART, our officers receive specialized fingerprinting and forensic training to better serve our riders who experience car break-ins at BART parking lots.”

To help speed the processing of fingerprint evidence, BART police contract with a forensic specialist. Chief Rainey says the specialist helps the process take a matter of weeks, instead of months. Deltoro’s arraignment date is scheduled for Aug. 8 at 9 a.m. at the Hayward Hall of Justice, according to San Leandro police.

—By Bay City News