Burglar Caught In Backyard Stealing $2k In Items At SMC Home: Police

SAN MATEO, CA — A man was arrested Wednesday who entered a San Mateo home’s backyard, broke into a shed and tried to get inside the residence, police said.

San Mateo police responded to a report of a suspicious person on Wednesday and identified Eduardo Ramirez Acosta nearby as the suspect, according to the San Mateo Police Department.

Surveillance footage and witness statements showed Ramirez Acosta entered the backyard and a closed shed, where he gathered about $2,000 worth of items and placed them in a backpack and box, police said.

As he left the shed, a resident confronted him. Ramirez Acosta claimed he worked for a cleaning company that had previously worked at the home, but police determined he was not an employee.

Additional surveillance showed Ramirez Acosta attempting to enter the home through multiple locked doors and windows, police said.

Ramirez Acosta was arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree burglary and second-degree burglary. Officers also found suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in his jacket during a search, police said.

He was booked into the San Mateo County Jail on additional charges of possessing a controlled substance and unlawful drug paraphernalia, police said.