Fremont police release images of brazen home robbery suspects

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ByDavid Louie KGO logo
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Fremont police release images of brazen home robbery suspects
Fremont police released photos taken from video of a home invasion robbery, one of two in the same neighborhood within two weeks.

FREMONT, Calif. (KGO) -- Fremont police released photos taken from video of a home invasion robbery, one of two in the same neighborhood within two weeks. Both times, five armed men were involved and police hope the public can identify them.

Fremont police say it appears the same gang is invading homes around 9 p.m., when it's likely the residents are home. So they're not afraid to confront their victims and to point guns at them.

A series of images taken from a security camera show five men, armed with guns, breaking through a sliding door and invading a house. They moved with precision, listening to determine if anyone was home. What they didn't know is that their every move was being tracked live, remotely, by the homeowner, who was already calling Fremont police.

"He was on the phone with dispatch saying, I see five armed males inside my house right now. Five armed suspects inside the house right now," said Fremont Detective Mike Gebhardt.

They grabbed some electronics and escaped before police arrived. Detectives are hoping someone will help identify them.

"At one point, you see the suspect's hoodie drop and he actually looks at the camera, which is a great clue for us and then puts it back up. So we're hoping that somebody recognizes him, the people he's with," Gebhardt said.

Police believe the same gang invaded a nearby home two weeks earlier, holding two adults and a child at gunpoint for over 15 minutes. They were not hurt as the robbers rounded up cash and high-value jewelry. The house did not have security cameras.

Many others do in theaffluent neighborhood where homes sell for well over $2 million. Fremont police have been encouraging residents to install cameras, even holding events to help them.

The president of the homeowners association says there is little more they can do.

"What we have to do, make sure we get these guys. We do everything on our part to be safe. This is sad. You're asking me to change my lifestyle. I'm not going to change my lifestyle," said Rakesh Sharma of the Ponderosa Mission Hills Homeowners Association.

If you can identify the shoes, the T-shirt logo or this face, contact Fremont police.