Milpitas police say they have arrested a man they allege was behind a string of September burglaries at several local houses of worship, after a mix of community-shared surveillance video, tips, and detailed officer reports helped point detectives to a suspect.
What Milpitas Police Say
According to a Facebook post by the Milpitas Police Department, the break-ins targeted religious institutions across the city and led to the theft of cash and other items of value. The post says detectives and a crime analyst used surveillance footage submitted by community members to identify a 33-year-old man from Oakley, and that the department obtained felony arrest warrants tied to two of the burglaries. Police say the suspect was taken into custody and booked on Tuesday on burglary charges.
Pattern Across The Region
The Milpitas arrest comes amid a run of similar incidents around the Bay Area, where thieves have gone after donation boxes, temple ornaments, and other small, easy-to-move valuables. A Jan. 24 temple heist case in Fremont was one of several in which suspects were charged after ornaments were taken from a Hindu temple, and local television outlets have documented other recent break-ins at temples and churches. Together, those cases highlight how faith communities can be targeted for cash and small religious items that are simple to carry off…