San Jose smoke shops, retailers deal with car smashing burglaries using stolen Hyundais, Kias
SAN JOSE- Multiple San Jose businesses are facing a recurring nightmare as they experience a wave of robberies in the middle of the night, with criminals smashing cars into their establishments to gain access.
This alarming trend has plagued several businesses over the last few months, leaving owners devastated and frustrated.
Arturo Gutierrez, the owner of Burrito Factory, a restaurant he established 33 years ago, said, "They always break the windows, the doors. They have broken into the restaurant and stole the safe, dragging it away."
Despite being targeted at least four times in recent years, Arturo considers himself fortunate this time as the sturdy material of his door withstood a recent attack.
However, just a few steps away, SF Smoke Shop on Almaden Expressway fell victim to the same tactic on Monday, with its doors destroyed. The suspects fled in a vehicle before police arrived.
"That same night, the same suspects attempted a burglary in the city of Santa Clara, however at that time, deputies from the Santa Clara Sheriff's Office were in the area and intervened. The suspects fled, and fortunately the deputies were able to apprehend three youths and take them into custody," said Sgt. Jorge Garibay of the San Jose Police Department.
The suspects, only identified as three juveniles, were booked into the Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall.
Garibay explains that this pattern involves criminals using stolen vehicles, particularly Kia and Hyundai models, to forcefully crash into the buildings.
"In this trend, they were using stolen either Kia-type model vehicles or Hyundai model vehicles to ram the facade of the building, causing extreme damage to the structure and to the actual facade of the building. They would then use that entry point to make entry inside of those businesses and proceed to steal merchandise and anything that they can find inside of those businesses," Garibay explained.
Law enforcement agencies are stepping up their efforts in response to the escalating number of commercial robberies.
Recently, authorities made a significant breakthrough as they investigated a series of robberies targeting smoke shops earlier this year, apprehending one of the primary suspects responsible for eight of these incidents. The suspect, identified as Jose Cabello, was linked to a spree of smoke shop robberies in the area.
Cabello was arrested on June 16. According to jail records, Cabello is being held without bail at the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday.
Despite the progress in apprehending suspects, business owners like Arturo still suffer significant financial losses. Replacing the damaged door alone would cost him around $1,500, a sum he cannot afford to lose repeatedly.
"It's very tough because you start to think that these damages cost you a day of work, of sales, like with this door. But there are times when bigger damages cost you a week or more of sales, and it's difficult because it brings on depression. But well, no, we keep moving forward," said Gutierrez.
Kia and Hyundai models have increasingly been the target of theft ater viral videos on social media showed thieves how to steal the cars. Officers with the department's burglary unit said they have seen a spike in 2010-21 Kia and 2015-21 Hyundai vehicles being stolen and used to commit burglaries and other crimes.
Many of the automakers' vehicles from that era did not have engine immobilizers, which prevent a vehicle from being hot-wired.
In response, the automakers have rolled out a series of software updates for 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias. Meanwhile, the lack of immobilizers has led to scrutiny from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other attorneys general, who are seeking a recall.
Police offered several tips for drivers, including the use of steering wheel or brake pedal locks, not leaving items of value or charging cables in their vehicles and parking in well-lit areas.
Anyone with additional information about the robberies is asked to contact Detective Gach or Detective Bergstrom of the department's Burglary Unit by email or by calling 408-277-4521.
Jose Martinez contributed reporting.