Rocklin Man Arrested in Home Burglaries

On March 19, 2013 at about 12:29 PM, Rocklin Police received a call of a residential burglary on Deer Run Court. When Officers arrived they were told by a witness that her father had observed their neighbor's side-garage door had been broken open, and he heard noises coming from inside his neighbor's home, which he believed should have been vacant at the time.

 While checking the exterior of the neighbor's home, the witness explained that her father was confronted by an unknown white, adult male who emerged from the inside of the home, and he then chased the unknown subject on foot and followed him to the area of Sammy Way. Police later discovered that the home in-fact had been burglarized. Complicating matters, the witness told police that the burglary suspect was possibly armed with a handgun.

 When officers arrived on Sammy Way, they learned that the burglary suspect had jumped a fence and avoided being captured. During a search of the area by Rocklin Police, they discovered an apartment with a sliding glass door opened. Upon advising the occupants of our search, police discovered that the unsuspecting resident had allowed the burglary suspect to enter their apartment after he had asked to use their telephone.

 Police detained the male who closely matched the description of the suspect given by witnesses. Upon further investigation, officers determined the male was responsible for the residential burglary on Deer Run Court. He was wearing a ring on his finger and was in possession of a large knife concealed on his waistband, both which had been stolen from the Deer Run Court residence. Officers arrested Matthew Christopher Gonzales, age 25 of Rocklin.

 Through a thorough investigation and evidence recovered, officers determined that Gonzales was also responsible for a residential burglary that had occurred the day before on March 18, 2013, at an address on Onyx Drive in Rocklin.

 Officers were initially unable to locate any handgun as described by witnesses, but after a thorough search, police finally located a loaded .32 caliber handgun in the bushes that Gonzales had discarded while being chased on foot from the Deer Run Court burglary. Police later learned that Gonzales had stolen the handgun from a third burglary.

Matthew Gonzales was arrested and booked into the Placer County jail on two counts of residential burglary (459 PC), two counts of possession of stolen property (496 PC) and possession of a concealed dagger (21390 PC). With additional burglary charges likely, Gonzales' bail is expected to be $150,000.