By Auto burglaries on the rise this holiday season, police say

Town Crier Staff Report

Local police believe that the driver involved in a fatal accident last week while driving a classic sports car reported stolen from a Los Altos home just hours earlier was responsible for ransacking the residence before fleeing in the car.

Los Altos Police Sgt. Tom Connelly said police were investigating the residential burglary on Richardson Avenue Dec. 12 when San Jose Police informed them that the 1965 Ford Cobra reported stolen from the residence had been involved in a fatal collision on Penitencial Creek Road in East San Jose. A male driver had collided with a tree at high speed, police said. He was alone in the car.

Connelly said police tentatively identified the man at the scene. They believe he had a prior arrest history for auto theft and residential burglary, and was on parole from state prison.

Police were investigating whether the man was involved in the actual burglary, Connelly said.

Connelly said a neighbor reported the burglary after discovering the garage door open and signs that someone had forcibly entered the house.

The homeowner had been away since the prior evening and the home was unoccupied when the burglary occurred, Connelly said.

The burglar ransacked the house, taking a computer, firearms, money and the car, which was parked in the garage.

Police believe that the burglar located the car keys inside the house.