By Linda Taaffe

A home computer theft led Los Altos police to the largest stash of stolen goods recovered in the department’s history last week. Police recovered at least 300 items believed to be stolen, valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, from a warehouse in Redwood City March 9 after Detective Scott Sweezey tracked down computers reported stolen from Los Altos to the facility on the 1700 block of Bayshore Road.

The operation required two search warrants on two separate days, deployment of the Los Altos SWAT team, the cooperation of three other police agencies and REACT, a regional special unit team that investigates stolen high-tech equipment.

Sgt. John Hughmanick said police were unprepared for the treasure trove of goods packed inside the two-story, miniwarehouse.

“You needed a shoehorn and a jar of Vaseline to get around in there,” Hughmanick said as he described the array of items stacked ceiling to floor. Nothing appeared to be off-limits. There was everything from air compressors to laptop computers, he said.

Police identified 30 computers, routers and other electronics equipment reported missing from businesses and homes in Mountain View, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Stanford University and Redwood City. They recovered about 300 other unidentified items.

Police arrested Redwood City resident Ken Frank Cordoza, 45, for possession of stolen property and possession of narcotics. There could be more related arrests, Hughmanick said Friday.

The Los Altos SWAT team moved in on the warehouse with a search warrant March 4 after receiving a tip that Cordoza was allegedly hiding goods there. Mountain View, Palo Alto and Redwood City police assisted in the search. Hughmanick said police believed there was a significant threat when entering.

Los Altos obtained a second search warrant five days later after police identified several items reported stolen from various Peninsula cities and uncovered an amount of illegal drugs that Hughmanick said was “beyond personal use.”

Police spent a day removing about 11 pallets, stacked about 5 feet high with items from the warehouse, Hughmanick said.

How far back the items were taken, remains unclear.

Some of the items identified were reported stolen in 2004, he said.

The investigation is ongoing. Police are working to identify items and return them to their owners.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call Los Altos Detective Scott Sweezey at 947-2770.