Palo Alto police this week arrested two men who they said broke into an East Meadow Circle business and made off with copper pipes.
Police made the arrest Sunday (Dec. 11) after spotting a vehicle occupied by two people in a rear of a closed business on East Meadow. Officers found burglary tools and numerous pieces of copper pipe in the vehicle and arrested the two men.
Officers later determined that the two men had entered the secure storage yard at Crystal Technologies, cut open a locked gate and broke into a shipping container that contained the copper pieces, police stated in a press release. Copper pipes are often stolen and resold by criminals looking to cash in on the pipes' recycle value.
The two suspects are Brandon Groover, 36, and Richard Sgambati, 33, both of San Jose. Both were booked into the San Jose Main Jail and charged with possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools. Groover, who is on parole for burglary, was also charged with violating his parole.
Comments
Crescent Park
on Dec 14, 2011 at 11:38 am
on Dec 14, 2011 at 11:38 am
Great job PAPD!
Adobe-Meadow
on Dec 14, 2011 at 11:46 am
on Dec 14, 2011 at 11:46 am
Other newspapers print the police mug shots of crooks like these. Why doesn't the Palo Alto Online?
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 14, 2011 at 12:44 pm
on Dec 14, 2011 at 12:44 pm
No mention of burglar alarms, or surveillance cameras, on the premise of this construction company. While it's nice that the police happened along, if they were alerted to a possible burglary in progress by the company's anti-theft hardware/software, shouldn't that get a mention?
another community
on Dec 14, 2011 at 1:22 pm
on Dec 14, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Mug Shots?
Why would you need to know what they look like? In case they try and break into your house to steak your copper? Even accused criminals have a right to privacy, or don't they?
Palo Alto Hills
on Dec 14, 2011 at 1:24 pm
on Dec 14, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Crystal Technologies is NOT a construction company.
"Crystal Technology, LLC is the manufacturer of lithium niobate wafers, crystal substrates, and acousto- and electro-optic components.
Web Link
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 14, 2011 at 3:11 pm
on Dec 14, 2011 at 3:11 pm
> Crystal Technologies is NOT a construction company.
Does it matter what kind of company it is? The same question still stands. Has it made adequate provisions to protect itself with up-to-date technology?
Registered user
Midtown
on Dec 14, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Registered user
on Dec 14, 2011 at 4:03 pm
More-to-the-story, could I hazard a guess to your employment? Do you just happen to be in the alarm biz?
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Dec 14, 2011 at 4:35 pm
on Dec 14, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Ummmmmmm guys, shipping containers don't normally have alarm systems.
Adobe-Meadow
on Dec 14, 2011 at 6:57 pm
on Dec 14, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Thanks for adding the mug shots. Do all crooks wear hoodies?
another community
on Dec 15, 2011 at 6:50 am
on Dec 15, 2011 at 6:50 am
All criminals wear hoddies. Normally Black or Gray ones. Every story i read on this site that describes the perpetrators of most crimes states that the suspect was wearing a black or gray hoodie. That is the choice attire of these scumbags. Be carefull when you see people wearing them, especially young men.
Barron Park
on Dec 15, 2011 at 10:06 am
on Dec 15, 2011 at 10:06 am
Yes, its time to start tracking, with photos and fingerprints, anyone who buys a hoodie.
Professorville
on Dec 16, 2011 at 5:36 pm
on Dec 16, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Yes... even the Stanford hoodies.. Because remember ALL Criminals wear hoodies, especially "common" colors like grey or black. Good grief! Hoody Alert. So silly! Wow. Guess that GREY Airforce hoodie means trouble for me! LOL. Ridiculous.
Crescent Park
on Dec 16, 2011 at 6:00 pm
on Dec 16, 2011 at 6:00 pm
I'm thinking the anti-hoodie statement was made by a troll to poke people into reacting. to bad trolls don't wear distinguishing garb or have a distinguishing signature so they can be filtered out. Sometimes people get upset and caught up in their nonsense and waste a lot of time.
Meadow Park
on Dec 20, 2011 at 3:07 pm
on Dec 20, 2011 at 3:07 pm
I THINK THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO SPEND MORE TIME CATCHING REAL CRIMINALS INSTEAD OF LOITERING BEHIND BUSINESSES. WHAT HAS SOCIETY COME TO? THEY HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO GO ON BUT 2 MEN TAKING COPPER FROM A BIN BEHIND A BUILDING. WHY ARENT THESE THINGS KEPT LOCKED INDOORS INSTEAD OF OUTSIDE? YOUR JUST SAYING "GO AHEAD TAKE ME I AM FOR FREE" THERE IS ALOT MORE CRIME GOING ON SUCH AS MURDERS, RAPES, CHILD MOLESTERS, AND NONE OF THAT IS MENTIONED AT ALL. BUT THEY MENTION ABOUT COPPER MUST HAVE BEEN A SLOW DAY! GREAT JOB WHAT A BUST AND ONE HELL OF A STORY.