Police used a drone to track the location of auto burglary suspects along the Bay Trail in Hercules early Saturday.
The incident unfolded about 4:31 a.m., when Hercules and Pinole police responded to the 2000 block of Railroad Avenue in Hercules after an off-duty officer spotted two masked individuals attempting to break into vehicles. A responding Hercules officer arrived quickly and saw the suspects fleeing the area on foot.
A Pinole police officer then deployed a drone near Bay Front Park in Pinole.
“Using thermal imaging and live-feed capabilities, the drone located the suspects navigating through a hazardous area of wet terrain, tall grass, and low visibility along the San Francisco Bay Trail in Hercules,” police said.
The officer operating the drone updated officers of the suspects’ location, leading to their arrest without further incident, police said.Â
“A follow-up investigation confirmed that the suspects were responsible for multiple vehicle burglaries in the area,” police said. “They had also stolen a vehicle in Pinole earlier that night, which they used to travel to Hercules and commit additional crimes.
