Crime & Safety

Two Men Allegedly Responsible for Spate of Pleasanton Car Burglaries Finally Caught

Jose Ramos and Rafael Gamaz led police on a chase Dec. 19 after allegedly burglarizing a car in the Stoneridge Mall parking lot.

Two men arrested on suspicion of a pre-Christmas car burglary at were actually responsible for 33 total auto burglaries reported in Pleasanton since early last year, police said.

Sgt. Kurt Schlehuber said in a statement Thursday night that Oakland resident Rafael Gamaz, 22, and Hayward resident Jose Ramos, 22, allegedly targeted certain kinds of cars, used the same break-in method for all of them, and stole the same type of property each time.

The car burglaries were reported between January 2011 and December 19, when the two were finally arrested, Schlehuber said.

Find out what's happening in Pleasantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On Dec. 19, people at the mall watched the two men allegedly break into a car in the mall parking lot, and called police. Several officers responded and tried to stop the men, who were driving away in a 1987 Buick LeSabre, Schlehuber said. The men allegedly refused to stop, and officers chased them until they crashed on westbound Interstate 580.

Both men were arrested after officers found allegedly stolen property inside the car.

Gamaz, the driver, was charged with evading a peace officer, and both he and Ramos were charged with burglary and possession of stolen property.

Detectives determined Gamaz and Ramos were also in possession of stolen property from a second automobile burglary in the vicinity of the mall and are seeking charges on this case, Schlehuber said. And, Schlehuber said police have been able to clear the 33 car burglaries from the department books, based on evidence and interviews.

Find out what's happening in Pleasantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.