SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Police Department announced on May 13 that they made several arrests connected to an auto burglary that unfolded at Stonestown Mall.
The SFPD reported on May 7, at approximately 10 a.m. officers responded to an auto burglary at Stonestown Mall. Officers were advised that unknown suspects were observed breaking into a vehicle and stealing items. With the assistance of the Real Time Investigation Center (RTIC), SFPD’s Citywide Plainclothes team began searching for the vehicle.
Officers launched a coordinated real-time investigation across the Bay Area using automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology and support from RTIC. While searching for the vehicle, officers discovered that the license plate on the vehicle had been reported stolen. Investigators tracked the vehicle’s movements and learned through the assistance of the Berkeley Police Department that a possible associate of the suspect vehicle, identified as Calvin Fries, 39, was linked to additional crimes, including catalytic converter thefts, auto burglaries, and fraud.
During this investigation, officers learned that the suspects switched the vehicle’s license plate, and an ALPR alert was triggered near the city of El Cerrito. SFPD plainclothes officers responded to the area and located the vehicle in El Cerrito Plaza, along with two suspects who were safely taken into custody.
Officers developed probable cause to arrest Fries of Bay Point and Wyatt Zapien, 34, of Brentwood.
During the search of the vehicle, officers recovered stolen property from the auto burglary, along with auto burglary tools, and six stolen catalytic converters.
Fries and Zapien were transported and booked into San Francisco County Jail for multiple charges, including 2nd degree burglary (459 PC), possession of stolen property (496(a)PC), possession of burglary tools (466pc), and conspiracy (182(a)(1)PC).
Zapien was also booked for three out-of-county warrants.
The SFPD Burglary Unit was able to connect Fries to an additional catalytic converter incident, as well as Zapien to two additional catalytic converter thefts and a felony evasion incident.
The SFPD is still investigating the case. Anyone with details should call the SFPD at 1-415-575-4444(opens in a new window) or Text-A-Tip to TIP411(opens in a new window) and begin the message with SFPD. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
