Five businesses at the Northgate One shopping center in San Rafael were victimized by burglars last Saturday. An alarming spree targeted the Terra Linda complex, leaving shattered glass and disrupted lives in its wake. KTVU reports that the suspects struck just after 3 AM, utilising hammers to break into the establishments and hastily make off with their loot.
The thieves were gone before police could firmly clamp down, despite the swift response from the San Rafael police department. The pursuit of the suspects, believed to be driving a stolen vehicle, was ceased as they sped onto Interstate 580 toward Richmond, citing public safety concerns, according to the Marin Independent Journal. The details surrounding the incident remain sketchy, as police have yet to disclose the full inventory of stolen items.
Workers and owners of the burglarized businesses have struggled to come to terms with the chaos of the break-ins. At the Jelly Donut shop, co-owner Viengkham Nettavong told KTVU, "I heard something crack. Then I come out and I see my door is broke out. I see tow guys in the door, the front door, two guys. After that, I look inside, I have one guy in my shop, and then, I loud. ‘Oh my God. Oh my God’ and he hear me and they saw me, they run away."
Neighboring businesses, such as the Sonoma Taco Shop and Silbermann's Ice Cream Shop, also reported significant losses. The taco shop's cashier, Jose Ochoa, revealed to KTVU that a register was stolen and their kitchen order reader was damaged, among other losses. Curtis Silberman, the ice cream shop owner, lamented the theft of their cash box to KTVU, stating, "They were specifically looking for cash and ended up with our cash box that's underneath our register system and took it out to the car with them, put it in the truck and took off."
Police continue to investigate the series of burglaries, as noted in a social media post by Henry K. Lee. San Rafael Police Sgt. Justin Graham remarked that detectives are working closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify the suspects, as per a tweet from Lee.
Burglars escape after breaking into 5 businesses at Northgate One shopping center. Tom Vacar @KTVU reports. @SanRafaelPolice investigating pic.twitter.com/XDgyUBBchR
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) December 2, 2025
