Surveillance cameras lead to the arrest of smash-and-grab robbers in Monterey County

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Monterey Police say that surveillance cameras led to the arrest of multiple smash-and-grab incidents with rifles and narcotics found.

According to police, they were dispatched to a burglary at a laundromat in the 2300 block of North Fremont Street around 3:45 a.m. that morning. They said that surveillance cameras showed a suspect driving a van up to the business and then throwing a heavy object through a glass window.

Then, they said that the suspect entered the business and put an ATM machine in his van. The suspect fled and was not caught during that incident, according to police.

The following day, February 22 around 7:50 a.m., a pedestrian walking at Asilomar Beach in Pacific Grove found the stolen ATM that was cut and pried open with the money missing, police say.

Another burglary at a different laundromat in the 1100 block of Forest Ave in Pacific Grove occurred on February 24 around 4:15 a.m., and police say that surveillance video showed a suspect parking a van that seemed to be the same one from three days prior.

The suspect, again, threw a heavy object into a glass door and entered the business, trying to remove an ATM machine and when it didn't budge, attempting to pry it open, according to police. Police say that they were unsuccessful and fled the scene.

"Pacific Grove Officers were able to identify the van used in the burglary on Forest Avenue in Pacific Grove utilizing Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras," wrote Monterey Police in a Facebook post. "Monterey Police Detectives identified it as the same van used in the North Fremont burglary by comparing unique vehicle characteristics."

Monterey and Pacific Grove police say that with the help of Seaside detectives, they were able to serve a search warrant in the 1800 block of Luzern Street in Seaside on February 26 at 10 a.m. that led to the arrest of 23-year-old Sage Keller of Seaside and 26-year-old Julia Spears of Pebble Beach.

"The search yielded numerous items of evidence related to both the Monterey and Pacific Grove burglaries. Officers also recovered an assault rifle with a loaded high capacity magazine and narcotics," according to police.

Police say that Keller has been charged with:

• Burglary
• Possession of burglary tools
• Felon in possession of a firearm
• Felon in possession of ammunition
• Possession of an Assault Rifle
• Post Release Community Supervision Violation
• Possession of controlled substance
• Possession of a large capacity magazine

Police say that Keller was previously convicted of burglarizing the same Pacific Grove laundromat in 2021 and that he has been booked into Monterey County Jail and held without bail.

Police say that Spears has been charged with:

• Possession of an Assault Rifle
• Possession of a large capacity magazine
• Commit Felony while out on Bail

According to police, Spears is currently out on bail for an arrest related to the burglary of a business in Pebble Beach on November 8, 2024 where a rear door was broken and an ATM was vandalized. They said her bail is at $40,000.