The most recent sheriff’s log is a lot quieter this week.  However, there have been two car burglaries in El Granada, a drug arrest, and a mysterious “terrorist threat”.

Two unidentified females came into the Sheriff’s North Coast Substation to turn in a banner that had terrorist threats painted on it. The females removed the banner from a tree located on Francisco Avenue. A report has been taken and the incident will be investigated.

Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Valencia Avenue on the report of an auto burglary. The victim reported that sometime between 02-11-05 and 02-12-05. Unknown suspects broke the left rear door window and the rear window of the vehicle. It appears that nothing was taken.

The victim of an auto burglary came into the Sheriff’s substation to report that on the above date and time unknown subjects opened the unlocked utility box in the bed of his truck and removed various tools.

Deputies were on routine patrol on the above date and time when they came in contact with a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot of a local business. Deputies approached the vehicle and had contact with the occupant, age 22, of San Francisco. He was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and transported to the county jail.

The Sheriff may have arrested the folks responsible for a lot of the auto burglaries on the Coastside.  If you’ve been reading the Sheriff’s log on Coastsider, you know that there have been a lot of things stolen from cars recently.  Responding to a suspicious vehicle call in 200 block of Bridgeport Drive in El Granada, Sheriff’s deputies checked out a tan 1989 Jeep. Inside they found handbags, cell phones, electronic equipment and other things stolen recently from Coastside cars. They arrested
Alexander Roth, 19, of Half Moon Bay and Jonathan Porter, 18, of El Granada on charges of possession of stolen property, grand theft and criminal conspiracy.

Two men wearing masks and gloves tied up a postal truck driver at the Montara post office some time after 6pm Tuesday night. The driver’s postal keys were taken, but the post office is saying that no mail was taken. He was reported missing, found, and freed some time after 10pm. No injuries were reported.

The driver was a contract driver who picks up mail on the coast. The suspects were described as two black men wearing masks and gloves.

The Postal Service is changing locks at its facilities in the area.

There is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact the office of the Postal Inspector at (415) 778-5991, or the Sheriff.

UPDATED Feb 3 at 9:40am

Last week, Sheriff’s deputies dealt with an illegal solicitor, one residential and two auto burglaries, two DUI’s and a stolen car.

Deputies were dispatched to Santa Anna Street in El Granada on the report of a solicitor who was going around the neighborhood selling magazine subscriptions and claiming that the money would be used to send her to London.  Deputies contacted the female and she was unable to provide any identification. County Communications ran a records check based on the information the female gave them and was unable to find a match. Once a match was made, the woman was issued a citation for violation of a county ordinance.

A citizen came to the Sheriff’s Substation in Moss Beach to report that his vehicle was broken into the night before and various items were taken.

Deputies were dispatched to the above address to take a report of an auto burglary. The victim parked the vehicle on the street in front of the residence the night before and when returning in the morning found that unknown suspects had removed the Kenwood stereo system.

Deputies were advised by county communications that a citizen had called in to report an erratic driver north bound on highway one. Deputies observed the vehicle before effecting a traffic stop. The driver, age 53, of San Mateo was found to be driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. He was arrested and transported to the county jail.

Deputies were dispatched to Higgins Purisima Road in Pescadero on the report of a residential burglary. They met with the reporting party who informed them that unknown suspects entered the residence, shed, and pool room and took various items.

Deputies were dispatched to a report of a stolen vehicle at the listed address. The owner of the vehicle had parked his vehicle in his driveway and locked it at approximately 1900hrs the night before. In the morning he returned to his driveway and found his vehicle missing. While deputies were writing the report, a call came in that the vehicle was found on Second Street and partially in a ditch. The owner was contacted to come and retrieve his vehicle. The vehicle was not damaged but various items were missing. 

Deputies effected a traffic stop on a man, age 22. He was found to be driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. He was arrested and transported to the county jail.

San Mateo County Sheriff Don Horsley intends to resign at the end of his term in January 2007. He has been Sheriff for four terms, since 1993. Undersheriff Greg Munks plans to run for the elected position in June 2006. One of Horsley’s big accomplishments as Sheriff was helping East Palo Alto with its crime and drug problems, after it was named Murder Capital of the country in 1992.

A vehicle was found by two alert State Parks Rangers near San Gregorio Beach on Highway One on Sunday, January 23. Whoever might have been in the vehicle when it went 50 ft. over the side had left the scene by the time it was discovered. The cause and circumstances of the accident are under investigation by the Highway Patrol.

This week’s report features possession of a controlled substance, warrant arrest, drunkeness on foot and at the wheel, and one residential burglary.

Click “read more” to see the report

The La Honda Fire Brigade’s A.R.F. Fundraising Drive hopes to raise $20,000 to equip the brigade’s new All-Hazard Rural Fire Engine with the gear we need to fight wildland fires on the south coast of San Mateo County. Click “Read more” to read the entire release.

NOTE: I’m experimenting with ways of running reasonable community (non-business) press releases on Coastsider.  Let me know what you think of this approach. Do you appreciate this, or does it detract from the news orientation of the site?

The Sheriff’s office suspended the search for the 28-year-old Fremont man whose car was found on the Devil’s Slide on Wednesday. This includes searches on the cliffs, in the ocean, and from the air. According to Lt. Steve Shiveley of the Moss Beach Substation, “the case has reached the investigative phase.” The Sheriff will be working with Fremont and SF State Police on the case. Ongoing searches will continue with volunteers, however.

The Mercury News reported Tuesday:

Herminder Sidhu, a resident of Fremont, was reported missing by his family after he did not return home from a trip to San Francisco State University on Sunday morning. Sidhu’s car, a white Honda Accord, was found parked on Highway 1, overlooking the ocean on Monday evening.

Rescue climbers began combing the cliffs around the car on Monday evening. A plane from the air squadron joined the search on Tuesday morning.

The sheriff is called in when two large political endorsements signs on the are torn down, and sheriff’s deputies make whole bunch of drug arrests this week. Two cars that are pulled over smell of marijuana, a cyclist turns out to be carrying meth, two DUI’s, a traffic stop leads to a meth warrant arrest, and a man with a fake AK-47 was found to be carrying meth.

Click “read more” to see the press release.