Mercedez Charlene Smith, a 41-year-old Fresno woman, has pled no contest to felony burglary. The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office sentenced her to two years in prison following an investigation led by Menlo Park Police in November 2022 after she was caught entering a residence through a garage, not only found with items from this home but also with property from at least two others. According to an X post from the District Attorney's Office, the arrest was made with multiple stolen goods in her possession.
Mercedez Charlene Smith (41) pled no contest to felony burglary, sentenced to 2 yrs in prison as a result of an investigation by @MenloParkPD in Nov '22 when she entered a home through the garage. She was arrested with multiple items of stolen property from at least 3 residences. pic.twitter.com/Ec7DSRj73X
— San Mateo County District Attorney (@SanMateoCoDA) January 3, 2024
The events that led to Smith's capture began when a Menlo Park resident encountered Smith standing in front of the open refrigerator in her kitchen on Felton Drive. After being approached by the homeowner, Smith left the premises, but not before being photographed by the quick-thinking resident. Pictured within the suspect’s belongings was what seemed to be a handgun – later identified as a very realistic replica Glock 17 pellet gun. Details from a Patch report indicate that Smith fled before Menlo Park police could apprehend her.
Neighboring law enforcement was alerted with a description of Smith. In a fortuitous turn of events around 9:59 a.m., San Mateo County Sheriff deputies located a suspect that matched Smith's description in Redwood City, unmistakably identified as the woman from the Felton Drive encounter.
Not long after her initial confrontation, Atherton Police informed Menlo Park Police of an additional burglary within their jurisdiction. A search upon Smith’s apprehension revealed not only narcotics but paraphernalia as well, and items linking her to several thefts, including the Atherton break-in. Smith's crime spree appears to be extensive, as her cache included stolen items from other thefts across Menlo Park and Palo Alto, as described in the Patch article.
The arrest brought to a close a string of thefts that had impacted several Peninsula residents, ultimately leading to Smith’s booking into the San Mateo County Jail. Her no contest plea wraps up one segment of the legal proceedings, with her two-year sentence marking the beginning of her retribution for the alleged string of felonies.
