3 arrested following theft of Legos at Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo
SAN MATEO -- Three suspects are in custody following a burglary Saturday morning at the Lego store in the Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo.
According to store employees, three people made off with more than $3,500 of Legos Saturday at around 11:30 a.m. The suspects were followed to the shopping center parking lot by a store employee who reported seeing them get into a Volkswagen Jetta where a driver awaited them. The vehicle fled the scene and responding officers were not immediately able to locate it.
Subsequent investigations led officers to the registered owner of the Volkswagen Jetta, which was rented through a third-party application. Although the suspects remained on the move, traveling across multiple counties, their progress was monitored via app and, a little after 4 p.m., San Francisco police successfully detained the car and all four occupants.
A search of the Jetta revealed a handgun along with evidence linked to the Lego Store theft.
Three of the suspects -- all residents of Richmond -- were booked into San Mateo County Jail: Jose Heredia Lopez, 21; Karlos Mason, 21; Makayla Wells Melgoza age 20. The fourth suspect -- a minor, age 17, from Hercules -- was charged and released into his parents' custody.
All were detained on suspicion of second-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit crime while the firearm-related charges are still under investigation.
Updates on the case will be provided as necessary and the public is encouraged to report any suspicious activities or information related to this case or other criminal activities to the San Mateo Police Department.