A 20-year-old man was arrested in Modesto over the weekend in connection with over 50 residential burglaries in San Mateo County — and in the process authorities seized eight semi-automatic rifles, three shotguns, a bulletproof vest, two handguns, and several allegedly stolen items.
The suspect has been identified as Francisco Cruz-Ramirez, and he was arrested in a collaborative effort by South San Francisco police and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. As KPIX reports, he was arrested on April 18 after being tracked down in Modesto following a lengthy investigation, and booked on 53 counts of residential burglary.
The cache of weapons suggests that Cruz-Ramirez may have been preparing for some bigger battle ahead, though authorities have not commented on that. And the extent and value of the suspect's stolen property has not been revealed yet either.
Cruz-Ramirez was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City, where he will await trial. As the Mercury News reports, he remains in custody on $5 million bail.
Anyone with further information about his alleged crimes is asked to call Detective Scott Benitez at 650-363-4067 ([email protected]) or Detective Daniel Chiu 650-363-4057 ([email protected]) at the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
Photos via the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office