Police arrested a suspect in an October restaurant burglary after an observant business owner saw the same man checking locked doors and windows earlier this week in Morgan Hill, authorities said.
About 10:20am Oct. 6, Morgan Hill Police responded to a report of a commercial burglary at Pho Saigon Restaurant, 16760 Monterey Road. The burglary had occurred several hours before it was called in, MHPD said in a press release.
An investigation found that about 1am, an unidentified suspect had shattered the restaurant’s front door and likely waited nearby to see if an alarm had been triggered or if police would respond, the press release says. The suspect later returned to the business, forced open the cash register and stole about $326 before fleeing.
The burglary was discovered later that morning, and reported to police.
On Dec. 1, a local business owner contacted MHPD after observing a suspicious person checking doors and windows on live surveillance video from their shop, police said. When police arrived, they determined the suspect had already fled.
Officers circulated the area and detained Antonio Maciel, 51, of Morgan Hill, near San Pedro Avenue, police said. Shortly after contacting Maciel, police recognized him as the suspect in the Oct. 6 burglary of Pho Saigon.
As the investigation proceeded, Maciel implicated himself in the restaurant burglary, police said. Maciel was arrested and booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of burglary and prowling.
“This case highlights the value of strong partnerships with our local business community,” said MHPD Chief Shane Palsgrove. “Because business owners acted quickly and officers responded proactively, we were able to identify and arrest a suspect responsible for multiple crimes in our city.
“We remain committed to protecting our businesses and maintaining Morgan Hill’s sense of safety.”
Anyone with information related to this case or other related cases can contact MHPD Det. Charlotte Siboldi at 669.377.9953 by email at ch***************@***********ca.gov.
