Crime & Safety
'Spidey Senses' & Nervousness Lead To 3 Arrests In Walnut Creek Parking Garage
Stolen property, gun, burglary tools found in a vehicle, whose driver attempted a fast exit once officer was spotted, officials said.
WALNUT CREEK, CA – Walnut Creek police said they likely thwarted burglary attempts when they arrested three men Sunday morning who were allegedly found with stolen property and burglary tools.
At about 8 a.m., an officer checked a downtown parking garage due to a recent increase in auto burglaries.
While there, he saw a suspicious vehicle enter the garage, but then quickly exit after its driver saw the officer, police said.
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The officer pulled over the vehicle and learned the driver was on parole for robbery. He also noticed a passenger behaving suspiciously who also had a concealed and loaded firearm on him that turned out to be stolen from Concord, police said.
"Officer Smith was conducting a security check of one of the downtown parking garages due to an increase in recent auto burglaries. He noticed a suspicious vehicle enter the garage and when the vehicle saw Officer Smith, it quickly turned around and exited the garage," the department said.
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"With his spider senses tingling, he conducted a traffic stop and discovered the driver was on parole for robbery. He noticed a passenger acting nervous and found the passenger had a concealed loaded firearm on him."
The officer also found a Ukrainian passport inside a stolen backpack and a drivers license stolen from an auto burglary in Concord.
According to police, the officer also found property stolen from a victim whose car was burglarized in the garage in September. Two of the three occupants also possessed window punches, police said.
The suspects were identified as 19-year-old Donald Jeter from Oakland, and 21-year-old Maurice Turner and 20-year-old Robert Coleman, both from Bay Point, police said.
They were arrested on suspicion of numerous offenses including possessing a stolen firearm, stolen property and burglary tools, police said.
"Future burglaries were likely prevented due to a keen eye by one of our officers," the Walnut Creek PD said.
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--Bay City News/Images via WCPD
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