A man who stored his computers in his garage is now without the devices, after a thief broke into his residence to steal the items.
Police say that the incident happened at some point between 11 p.m. on July 4 and 8 a.m. on July 5, on the 2100 block of 35th Avenue, which is between Quintara and Rivera Streets.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, the 52-year-old male victim had several computers stored in the garage of his residence. But after a thief broke into the victim's vehicle, which was parked outside, it was open season on the home: The victim had apparently left his automatic garage door opener in the vehicle, making it a snap for the wrongdoer to push a button and enter the garage.
Once inside the residence, police say that the suspect stole multiple computers the victim had stored in the garage.
Police did not have any information on any possible suspects, and confirmed that no arrests have been made in the case.
The SFPD, including their Taraval Station (the area in which the current crime occurred) has warned area residents for years not to keep their automatic garage door openers in their cars. In a blog post entitled "Crime Prevention Tips - Garage Safety" from 2015, the Taraval Station offered the following suggestions (more can be read here):
Don’t leave the garage door remote in your vehicle. If a thief breaks in to your car and steals the remote, then the thief has a way into your home.Invest in a keychain remote opener.
Install a wireless keypad. Whether you’re locked out of the house, or you just want to get into the garage without going inside or hunting for a remote, a wireless keypad is a great addition. Inexpensive and easy to install, you just program the keypad with your code. Then, just lift the cover and enter the code for the door to open.
Turn off the power. Without electricity, your garage door opener won’t work. At night, or when you are out of town, you can easily cut the power by unplugging the opener or, if your opener is wired to a wall switch, flipping the switch
