3 Arrested In Auto Burglary Sting Across S. Bay: Mtn. View Police

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA —After months of extensive investigation, Mountain View detectives said they arrested Tuesday night three men wanted in connection with a slew of auto burglaries in the South Bay.

Mountain View Police worked with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, along with the Los Altos Police Department and Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office on the sting.

The suspects have been identified as Oakland residents Marcus Anigilaje, 39, and Paul Edwards, 29, as well as Sacramento resident Troy Collins, 25.

Detectives were notified the three men were in the Mountain View area driving in a black Infiniti sedan along San Antonio Road heading toward El Camino Real. Officers coordinated with each other a staging in the area to safety apprehend the suspects before they left Mountain View.

As the trio headed down San Antonio Road, the teams surrounded their vehicle and ordered the men out of their car. During a search of the vehicle, burglary tools and a laptop were seized. The men have been suspected of possible connections to auto burglaries in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Cupertino.

The men were transported to the Santa Clara County Jail where they are being held without bail on suspicion of auto burglary as well as possession of burglary tools and stolen property.

“I am very proud of the work that was done to catch these suspects,” Lt. Frank St. Clair said. “The multi-agency efforts throughout the investigation were paramount to effectively apprehending three men who have victimized too many in our cities.”

Mountain View Police took the opportunity to encourage citizens to refrain from leaving items of value in their vehicles. As a reminder, if someone can see things like a phone, bag or laptop, it may be stolen.