SLOPD: Burglar ransacks seven homes in one night
San Luis Obispo Police believe a burglar ransacked seven homes in one night, making off with valuable electronics just as students were preparing for finals.
The SLO Police Department says the rash of residential burglaries were all reported in the same vicinity, late night Saturday into early Sunday morning. The alleged thief walked right through unlocked doors and walked out with thousands of dollars worth of stolen property.
Zach Benayoun was home sleeping when he says someone swiped his laptop early Sunday morning.
Benayoun lives in a back house and points out that he easily could have been sitting on the couch when the suspect walked through his door.
“Coming all the way back here to this section, even he must have felt uncomfortable trying to do at first,” said Benayoun.
Police say a man caught on surveillance allegedly helped himself to not only Benayoun’s laptop but could be behind seven residential burglaries reported along Foothill and California Boulevard and Hathaway Avenue.
“I mean obviously it’s really sketchy. We never thought something like this would happen in SLO or in town like this around campus, it was definitely disheartening to hear and see it at first,” said Benayoun.
To add insult to injury, Cal Poly students like Benayoun and Megan Day are trying to study for exams.
“I know a lot of people on the street really need their school supplies especially during mid-terms and finals coming up. It’s been really hard not having a laptop, even just for like a day,” said Day.
Day’s house was wiped out too. Her laptop, backpack, school books, and wallet – all gone.
“It’s pretty violating to know that he walked through my room. My backpack was under my desk so he went all the way across my room, stepped over all my clothes, I could totally, I could’ve been home,” said Day.
Police say the alleged thief mainly targeted unlocked homes and cars, prompting a reminder from authorities to lock your doors and keep valuables out of sight.
“We are locking our doors from now on. It’s kind of weird because we never really thought it would be an issue and then something like this happens, and so you got to be more cautious about it,” said Benayoun.
It’s unclear if the alleged thief acted alone or is a student at Cal Poly.
Police say they are making progress in this case and hope to have the suspect identified by Tuesday.
