A Rancho Cordova Uber driver is in custody after he allegedly dropped off a passenger at a local airport and then promptly attempted to rob their San Mateo home.
San Mateo police say the driver, Jackie Gordon Wilson, dropped off an unidentified passenger for a flight and then drove back to their house in San Mateo with the intention of burglarizing it. Police say Wilson’s attempt was thwarted, however, when a Ring security camera caught him in action and an alarm system went off.
However, another nearby resident wasn’t so lucky. That homeowner also had a Ring security system which recorded the burglary, but when police arrived they said they found the home already “completely ransacked.”
The owners were able to upload the video to a Ring community sharing platform, which helped them to identify the man as an Uber driver who dropped off others in the neighborhood at the airport.
The next day, police say they located Wilson in Rancho Cordova, where they found him to be wearing the same clothes as appeared in the Ring security videos and in possession of several items from the burgled home.
“This case proves the benefit of a home security system particularly with video,” San Mateo authorities say. “Law enforcement is solving more crimes thanks to surveillance cameras and license plate reader systems.”
Wilson was booked into the San Mateo County Jail for a burglary and attempted burglary, but police are still investigating the incidents in an effort to uncover any other burglaries in the area.
“We removed the driver’s access to the app as soon as we were made aware of the allegations and stand ready to assist police in their investigation,” Uber said in a statement.