This past week, Hillsborough saw a high-tech break-in as burglars equipped with a signal jammer hit a local residence. The Hillsborough Police Department reported that last Friday, a pet sitter called in to report an ongoing burglary at roughly 6:10 PM after having heard suspicious noises from the primary bedroom of the home located on Orange Court. The sitter caught a glimpse of a suspect and heard another insider before deciding to get to safety and dial 911 quickly.
Police response was swift, with officers from the Hillsborough, San Mateo, and Burlingame Police Departments arriving to secure the scene. A novel approach was taken to monitor the suspects still believed to be inside the house, using an interior drone to observe the situation. In contrast, heat-seeking drones were deployed around the house's exterior "to provide an aerial view and watch for any movement outside the residence," according to the social media post by the Hillsborough Police Department. However, in a seemingly professional twist, the suspects were gone before officers could apprehend them.
Investigators discovered that the perpetrators made their way in and out through a smashed second-story window. The post-incident scene included not just the usual droppings of a hurried escape—abandoned stolen jewelry—but also a signal jammer, an ominous indication of premeditation and tactical planning by these criminals. "Signal jammers are devices that can disrupt wireless communications and turn off security systems, including cameras and cellular networks," explained the Hillsborough Police Department.
This incident marks the first confirmed case of such technology being utilized in a burglary in Hillsborough. These brazen individuals' use of this tech underscores a worrying evolution in modern burglary techniques—likely a sign that they are to become an even tougher adversary for law enforcement in their relentless battle against residential crimes. The Hillsborough Police Department is digging deep into the investigation, prompting anyone with information to reach out at 650-375-7470. With the suspects at large, the department is adamant in gathering all information that could lead to their capture.
