Uber Driver Arrested For San Mateo Home Burglary
SAN MATEO (CBS SF) -- An Uber driver has been arrested for burglarizing a home in San Mateo and attempting to burglarize another home after dropping off the home's residents at the airport, according to authorities.
San Mateo police said detectives arrested Jackie Gordon Wilson at his home in Rancho Cordova on Friday and recovered some of the items stolen the previous day from the home on the 1700 block of Nash Street.
The homeowner shared security camera video of the suspect breaking into the home and learned from those viewing that the video the suspect was an Uber driver who had just dropped off people at the airport from the 600 block of Rand St., police said.
"I posted the video and within 15 minutes I was getting hits from other neighbors about the video," the homeowner told KPIX 5. "Another neighbor confirmed it was an Uber driver and he was able get the license plate. I gave that information to the police and it got the ball rolling from there."
A security camera system at the Rand St. home showed the suspect attempting to burglarize the residence an hour after the airport run, but the attempted was thwarted when an alarm sounded, police said.
Shortly after, the suspect burglarized the Nash St. home which is just a few blocks away.
"There are family heirlooms from my grandmother that go back to the Holocaust. And his father dog tags mean everything to us and nothing to him," one of the victims told KPIX.
Wilson was still wearing the same clothing he had on as seen on the surveillance videos when San Mateo police detectives arrested Wilson Friday with help from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators say they are looking into Wilson's activities to identify any other crimes and recover additional stolen property.
In a statement, Uber said, "We removed the driver's access to the app as soon as we were made aware of the allegations and stand ready to assist police in their investigation."
Wilson was booked into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of burglary, attempted burglary, and resisting arrest.
SAFETY TIPS FOR USERS OF RIDE-HAILING APPS (From San Mateo Police Dept.)
- Be mindful where you are picked up and dropped off. For example, if you use rideshare to the airport, the driver will know you won't be home for several days.
- Double-check your ride share app to ensure the license plate, make, model and color of the car is the actual car assigned to you by the app.
- Take a picture of the license plate and vehicle.
- Do not get into a car or give your name to the driver until you ask, "who are you here for?" If the driver can't identify your name, do not get in.
- Share your trip details with friends or family. According to Uber, you're able to tap "Share status" in the mobile app and share your driver's name, photo, license plate, and location with a friend or family member. Lyft users can tap the "Send ETA" icon on the bottom bar, which will send a text message to family or friends with a link to your current route and location.
- Trust your instincts! If you are uncomfortable with the driver's behavior or comments or you sense something is not right, don't get in the car. If you are already in the car, ask to be dropped off and call 911.
