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Photograph courtesy of Peter Stonard
Neighborhood Scare: San Jose Police apprehended an auto thief suspect March 13 in a Campbell neighborhood.
Thief steals car, is caught by SJ Police, causes scare
By Moryt Milo
Campbell residents Peter Stonard, and his wife, Judy Einstein, were asleep in bed when they heard several disturbing sounds the morning of March 13.
The first sound was that of a car crashing into a Campbell streetlight on the corner of Midway Street and Ridgeley Drive--the intersection borders the couple's property. The second sound was something falling against their bedroom wall.
"We thought it was the wind knocking over our gardening tools," Stonard said.
But police officials suspect it was 26-year-old Benito De La Cruz, jumping over their fence, hitting the wall and fleeing the scene. The third sound had the couple wide-awake: a knock at their front door from the San Jose Police Department.
"The officer asked if he could enter our property and search for a suspect," Stonard said.
The suspect had stolen a 2002 gold four-door BMW 735i from the driveway of Philip and Kimberley Anderson, who live on Cody Way, near the intersections of Leigh and Curtner avenues.
Philip had gone out to start his car and let it warm up while he was taking out the trash. When he went inside, the auto thief jumped in his car and drove off.
Philip walked out with the trash and saw that his car was gone.
"Someone took my car," he told his wife and asked her if she had seen anything or had any idea which way the car had gone.
He got into the family's second car and drove off looking for the thief, while his wife called 911.
The police responded within minutes, Kimberley said, and Philip returned home to tell the police about the incident.
As Philip was telling the police what had happened, he looked out onto the street and said, "Oh my God, there goes my car."
The suspect had turned around from going south on Leigh Avenue and started driving north, passing right by the Andersons' house.
The officer immediately jumped into his car and chased after the suspect, his wife said.
Photograph courtesty of Peter Stonard
Damaged Goods: A stolen BMW was crashed by an auto thief who was caught by the police.
SJPD spokesman Sgt. Steve Dixon said that initially the officer lost the suspect and asked the other units in the area for assistance. Then he spotted the car on Midway Street in Campbell. The officer pulled up to the vehicle, but the car was empty.
The officer knocked on Stonard's door, asking to check the premises, and went into Stonard's backyard with his gun drawn, said Stonard, who watched the incident from inside his home.
The suspect fled through Stonard's yard, but was found by the SJPD walking on McBain Avenue, one street south of Ridgeley Drive.
He was identified by the officer who had initially seen him while talking with Philip Anderson, Sgt. Dixon added.
Kimberley Anderson told The Campbell Reporter, "The San Jose Police did a wonderful job. Their response time and catching the guy was awesome, but I had to go down to [The Santa Clara County] Courthouse on Friday to learn the guy's name. Neither the San Jose or Campbell Police would release the information."
While sitting in court, Kimberley heard six charges brought against De La Cruz, which included assaulting a police officer, committing grand theft auto, stealing merchandise, and being intoxicated while driving. His bail was set at $100,000.
"If he had had $1,000 he could have made bail," she said, upset.
The Andersons have lived in their house for 16 years, and they admit that letting their car warm up in the driveway with no one inside is not a good idea.
"But everyone on our street does it," Kimberley said.
The Andersons are also concerned this incident is symptomatic of a bigger problem, which they worry is related to the opening of the new Home Depot on Hillsdale Avenue, near Leigh and Camden avenues.
Kimberley said that when Home Base was located in the Home Depot building, there were day workers standing on Leigh and Hillsdale avenues all the time looking for work. The neighbors got together and petitioned the city of San Jose to post "No soliciting for work" signs, which the city did.
Kimberley expressed concern that De La Cruz may have been watching her house and waiting for the right moment to steal her husband's car.
Like the Andersons, Peter Stonard and Judy Einskin were glad De La Cruz was caught, but Stonard said their nerves were frayed from the incident.
Anderson told Stonard his car had been totaled and his cell phone had also been stolen out of the car, but he was glad to find out that no one was hurt.
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Campbell, California
