A group of thieves were caught on camera using a slick ruse to scout houses before robbing them.
Doorbell camera footage from a home in Milpitas captured a man dressed as an Amazon delivery driver carrying a package and approaching the door before knocking several times.
No one answered, and about 30 minutes later a Chevrolet Cruze was spotted pulling up to the curb with two men inside.
According to homeowner Donna Kato, the suspects used a side gate to access the backyard and shattered a sliding glass door to get inside the house. Soon, all her cameras went down and the alarm system was disabled, she told KTVU.
“It’s upsetting beyond words. It’s very emotional,” she said, adding she wasn’t home at the time and wasn’t expecting a delivery. “This impostor Amazon person was banging at my door, trying to determine if anyone was home.”
The thieves’ main target was an unbolted safe that contained Kato’s late mother’s diamond, emerald and gold necklace and wedding ring. She also lost a watch and important documents, including birth certificates and a marriage license. All the items taken are worth about $70,000.
“I kept all my valuables there. My mother’s heirloom jewelry, which is irreplaceable, that’s the most important part to me,” Kato told the outlet.
In a surveillance footage, the criminals can be seen directing the car to reverse onto the home’s driveway. They then attempt to drag the safe across the ground into the car.
The same vehicle was captured by a license plate reader entering Milpitas two hours before the burglary and leaving the city minutes after it occurred, according to a police report.
Milpitas police are investigating, and a private investigator hired by Kato told KTVU there’s likely other victims.
“It happens all over the state. Organized crews are really good at identifying homes that doesn’t look like anyone is there and they kind of know the windows of time to strike,” investigator Marc Hinch told ABC7.
Amazon spokesperson Louie Tran said the company is “looking into this to see if there were any drivers around the area during the incident.”
The company added that delivery drivers don’t knock on door unless arranged by customer.
“Unfortunately, there are bad actors who wear lookalike apparel to commit crime,” the company said. “We encourage anyone who’s been victim of a crime to report to the police.”
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