Crime & Safety

Livermore Burglar Escapes Police Perimeter

Livermore Police ask residents to call if someone knocks on their door and asks for someone that doesn't live there.

A burglar was seen in Springtown early Wednesday morning knocking on doors and asking for someone that did not live at the residence, Livermore police said.

"A really smart citizen on El Rio called us at 9:57 a.m. about a man knocking on his door asking for 'Fred,'" Livermore Police Spokeswoman Traci Rebiejo said.

The suspect was described by the resident as a Hispanic juvenile, heavy set, about 200 pounds wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, white shoes, Rebiejo said.

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Police responded to the residence, but did not find the suspect. 

A second call came in 10 minutes later with a similar description, though the resident said it was a Hispanic male in his early 20s.

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"We weren’t very far away," Rebiejo said. "We were in Springtown, so while we did an area check, another neighbor called to report that the suspect had just jumped over her fence and into her backyard." 

Rebiejo was at the residence and, with her partner secured both the front and rear of the perimeter. Once the rest of the responding officers had saturated the block, a backyard search began.

"We searched 20 houses in about a couple hours," Rebiejo said. "Amidst the search, we found a house that had been broken into, a stack of property outside, but the homeowners were not home."

A third call came in to police while the backyard search was being conducted but came in "cold," Rebiejo said.

Today's home burglary was an example of what to look out for, she said.

"If somebody knocks on your door and ask for 'Fred,' or a person that doesn’t live in your house, call us immediately," Rebiejo said. "If you don’t answer, they will go around into your backyard and break a window, a door or find something unlocked.

"If you’re home, answer them through the door," she said. "What happens often when someone doesn’t answer the door or pretends not to be home is that the burglar will try to break in while the homeowner was home."

As for today's burglary, the suspect did elude police.

"The last resident that called had waited five minutes before calling us," Rebiejo said. "If someone is in your backyard, make sure to call us right away. It's how we find burglars."

If you have any information, contact Traci Rebiejo at 925-580-9665.


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