Neighbor’s ‘quick thinking’ helped thwart Northern California home burglary, sheriff says

A neighbor of a Northern California couple helped to catch alleged thieves making off with expensive household items after the suspects sought to burglarize their home across two separate incidents last week, authorities said.

Nevada County sheriff’s deputies were called Tuesday to investigate trespassers at a home in the 11000 block of Newtown Road in Nevada City. The homeowner wasn’t inside but saw two men breaking into the home on live surveillance footage, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said on social media.

Investigators arriving to the residence didn’t find any suspects. However, the homeowner’s neighbor took photos of the suspects’ car, leaving the home with a dryer, solar panel and a camera, deputies said.

“The victim’s home surveillance system and a neighbor’s quick thinking to take pictures aided our deputies in immediately tracking down two suspects,” sheriff’s Lt. Rusty Greene said in a statement.

The two Nevada City men, ages 53 and 60, were found by sheriff’s deputies at their home. The stolen items were still in the truck bed along with methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and shotgun shells, deputies said.

The two men haven’t yet been charged by the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office and were not in custody as of Monday, according to jail booking logs.

As the deputies came to return the stolen items, they encountered another two alleged trespassers at the home, deputies said.

A 30-year-old Nevada City man was cited and released, deputies said. A search of his vehicle led to deputies finding heroin and drug paraphernalia, they said.