Thieves smash car into Novato store, flee down the 101 to Richmond where Oakland suspect arrested

At about 3 a.m. this morning (Sept. 28), Novato Police Officers responded to a burglary in progress at a store on Diablo Ave.

Arriving officers located two suspect vehicles driving away the scene. An officer pursued the vehicle from onto Southbound Hwy 101, however the pursuit ended due to unsafe speeds. An alert notification was sent out to other agencies with the vehicle descriptions.

Video evidence confirmed that one of the suspect vehicles drove into storefront to complete the burglary, resulting in extensive damage to the store. Approximately five suspects and two vehicles were involved. CHP Marin located one of the suspect vehicles heading Eastbound on Hwy 580 in San Rafael.

Officers followed the vehicle along Hwy 580 until the driver crashed in Richmond. The only person in the vehicle was identified as Jeremy Fong, a 26-year-old Oakland resident. Fong attempted to run away from CHP Officers on foot, however he was arrestedand transported to a hospital for medical clearance. The vehicle was confirmed as a stolen vehicle out of Oakland.

An extensive amount of stolen property was recovered from the vehicle. Fong was booked into the Marin County Jail for charges including burglary, vandalism, reckless evading, resisting arrest, vehicle theft, and conspiracy.

We would like to thank our partners at CHP – Marin for assisting in this case. With their assistance vital components were obtained which will assist in the prosecution of this case. It is important to always be aware of your surroundings, especially in the evening hours. If you notice suspicious behavior, immediately call Novato Police at 415-897-4361. In an emergency or in-progress crime, call 9-1-1. Try to provide dispatchers with the most accurate information while keeping yourself safe. Information like, suspect description, vehicle description, direction of travel, and license plate numbers are extremely helpful to our officers.

If anyone has additional information related to this case, please call the Novato Police Department at 415-897-4361 and refer to case #NP24-2950. Stay safe Novato!