Police arrested a Morgan Hill man on New Year’s Eve who is suspected of burglarizing several vehicles and mailboxes at an apartment complex in Mountain View.
About 3:35am Dec. 31, Mountain View Police responded to the 100 block of East Middlefield Road in Mountain View, after a resident called to report she had seen someone trying to break into a vehicle, according to a press release from MVPD. As officers were on their way to the scene, police received another call from a different resident reporting that another vehicle had been broken into.
Officers searched the area, and located a subject who matched the description of the car break-in suspect, according to police. Officers contacted the man, later identified as Tonato Mills, 30, of Morgan Hill, at Tyrella and Flynn avenues. Mills failed to give officers a satisfactory explanation why he was in the area.
During the investigation, one of MVPD’s K9 dogs connected a Honda sedan, parked at the rear gate of the East Middlegate Road complex, had recently been used by Mills, according to authorities. Police searched the vehicle, and found a bag full of burglary tools, mail from nearby residents, a pipe used to smoke drugs and methamphetamine.
In the preceding days, MVPD had received numerous reports of mailbox and vehicle break-ins at the same complex, according to police. At least one resident also reported their car had been vandalized the night of Dec. 31, though it did not appear anything had been stolen from the vehicle.
Police arrested Mills on suspicion of burglary, prowling, possession of burglary tools, possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and violation of parole, according to MVPD. He was booked at Santa Clara County Jail.
On Jan. 1, police conducted a follow-up search at Mills’ home in Morgan Hill, the MVPD press release states. Found at the home were gun ammunition—which a convicted felon is not allowed to possess—as well as allegedly stolen mail, and other stolen property from another city.
