Suspects Sought in 23 Thefts in One Morgan Hill Neighborhood

Police believe a minimum of two people committed 23 home burglaries and thefts from cars in a residential area in Morgan Hill over the past month.

The suspects are responsible for eight home and 15 car burglaries in parts of Greenleaf, a 1970s subdivision of about 250 homes a few blocks east of U.S. Highway 101, Morgan Hill police Capt. Shane Palsgrove said.

"I'd say it's two crooks hitting that neighborhood pretty hard," Palsgrove said.

The burglary suspects simply knock on the doors of homes and if there is no answer, they try doorknobs and look for open windows or other ways to enter unoccupied residences, Palsgrove said.

The thieves also are "just trying door handles on cars" to find ones that are unlocked or even breaking the windows of vehicles when they see something inside worth stealing, Palsgrove said.

The booty obtained by the suspects from residential burglaries has included jewelry, electronics, gaming consoles, iPads, Nintendo systems and televisions, and things like purses, laptops and GPS devices from cars, Palsgrove said.

The streets within Greenleaf hit by the auto and home thefts include Peppertree Drive -- the main entryway to the neighborhood --  as well as Bluebonnet Court and Jasmine and Almond ways, Palsgrove said.

No one has been arrested in the rash of thefts, which have not involved the use of firearms, but police are working on a number of leads provided by witnesses, Palsgrove said

Officers visited Greenleaf to search for clues at some houses and plan to return to hand out fliers listing safety precautions, Palsgrove said.

The Morgan Hill Police Department issued a news release Monday warning the city about the sudden increase of burglaries and urging people to lock their doors at home, make sure to close their windows and garage doors completely and notify a neighbor when not at home for the holidays.

Police also suggested that residents park their cars in well-lit areas, preferably in the driveway, to lock their car doors and place in the trunk anything inside their car that is of value.

Officers said that if anyone wants to set up a neighborhood watch meeting or have questions about safety concerns to call the Morgan Hill Police Department at (831) 768-3300 and ask for Officer Greg Dini.

--Bay City News Service