A burglary spree that left two Novato businesses rattled ended with a man behind bars, thanks to a little cross-county police collaboration. Novato Police Department, celebrating this deft piece of detective work, announced the arrest of a 42-year-old Hercules man for his alleged involvement in the commercial break-ins.
Responding to a theft report on February 2, cops hit The Square Shopping Center to find FBI Burgers and Marin Fitness had been hit by a thief armed with a crowbar, as per surveillance footage. The criminal stripped the establishments of registers, safes, and other valuables before vanishing into the night. The Novato Police Department shared the details via Facebook, clearly not amused by the nocturnal shenanigans.
But the story took a turn when San Pablo officers curbed what they discovered was a stolen vehicle hundreds of miles away later that day. Scrutinizing the car's contents, they stumbled upon items swiped from FBI Burgers and Marin Fitness, inadvertently throwing a wrench into the suspect's escape plan. The quick-thinking San Pablo PD looped in Novato detectives, setting the stage for an interstate caper's resolution.
An investigative muscle flexed, Novato's sleuths navigated to Contra Costa County, where they zeroed in on the suspect, Paul Amey Jr., who reportedly tried to dupe cops with a fake identity. It didn't fly. Amey was cuffed and faced two counts of burglary, identity theft, and the ol' giving a false name to police. A Marin County Jail cell awaited him after the Novato Police recovered the pilfered loot and restored it to their rightful Novato owners.
The Novato Police lauded their San Pablo comrades for their assistance, turning an everyday alert into a joint victory. Their parting shot to the Novato community was a clarion call for vigilance, urging locals to keep their eyes peeled for anything unusual. Suspicious activities should reach them at 415-897-4361 or online for non-emergencies, with the good old 9-1-1 as the go-to in a pinch. Their message: "Stay safe Novato!"
