A South Bay man who happened upon a burglar in his home over the weekend chased down the suspect, helping authorities close in for an arrest. Ian Cull reports.
A South Bay man who happened upon a burglar in his home over the weekend chased down the suspect, helping authorities close in for an arrest.
Nathan Steele said he knew something was off when he walked through his front door Saturday after going out to breakfast with his two young children.
"He had to at least been here for 20 minutes," Steele said Monday from his San Jose home.
Steele said he heard a crash in the back of the house just after he walked through the front door. He found a window broken then saw a man running from his house.
"I went out to the street here, looked both ways, didn't see him that way and then looked this way and saw him running right down this path right here," Steele said.
He chased the suspect for several blocks near Cole Drive and Union Avenue in South San Jose. When Steele caught up, the suspect pushed Steele down and tried to punch him.
"He told me to get away from him and said don't call the cops," Steele recalled.
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But Steele called 911, and Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies set up a perimeter around the neighborhood.
"I followed him to let police know where he was going, and then obviously my kids went right into my head, and I had to get back to them," Steele said.
Deputies arrested 30-year-old Paul Garcia Jr. within the hour, saying he had a knife on him, along with Steele's stolen jewelry and cash.
Neighbors in the Cambrian Park neighborhood said they've seen a spike in property crimes. Many have security cameras now.
"It's been worse recently," neighbor Todd Tanaka said. "Some cars have been broken into. Some cars have been jacked, stolen."
Steele just bought a security system too. He's just happy his family and home are safe.
"It's a lot more secure," he said.
