By Roger Lanse

A Santa Clara Police Department officer responded Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, at about 7:10 a.m., to Bellm Street and Lariat Road in reference to a vehicle burglary call. According to an XCPD incident report, a representative of Southwest Concrete and Paving stated batteries had been taken from a backhoe and a motor grader while parked at the construction site. The batteries were last seen when the equipment was parked around 5:30 p.m. the previous day.

The officer stated it appeared someone had unbolted the batteries and carried them away. A spot in the site fence was observed that was not secured. Whoever took the batteries, the officer said, was able to walk through the fence and "walk out with the batteries easily."

Joseph Wiseman, General Manager of SWC&P, told the Beat, two batteries were taken from each of the vehicles. The two from the backhoe weighed approximately 35 pounds each and were valued at $150 each, while the two from the motor grader weighed about 130 pounds each and were valued at $300 each.

Wiseman said the site fence, which had been wired to an existing fence at the cemetery, was now reinforced with welded chain.

There are no suspects at this time, according to XCPD.