Armed home invaders caught on surveillance cameras in Fremont

Home security video shows a group of armed burglars who police believe struck twice in the last two weeks in Fremont. Home security video shows a group of armed burglars who police believe struck twice in the last two weeks in Fremont. Photo: Fremont Police Department Photo: Fremont Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Armed home invaders caught on surveillance cameras in Fremont 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A group of coordinated armed home invaders struck twice in the last two weeks in Fremont, on one occasion pulling guns on a family and demanding jewelry, and on another sneaking through an empty residence as the homeowner remotely watched them on security cameras, police said.

Investigators say it’s unusual for burglars to strike when they did — between the hours of 9 and 10 p.m. — leading them to suspect the armed men wanted to accost the victims.

“Why would you hit a house and want it to be occupied?” said Detective Michael Gebhardt of the Fremont Police Department. “One thought is they want to know where the stuff is.”

The brazen burglars are believed to be a group of about five men who hit the houses in an organized fashion, talking to each other and pointing out exits as they crept through one of the houses, as shown in security video released Wednesday, Gebhardt said.

In the first home invasion, reported Aug. 16 on Hunter Lane, the assailants entered the house through an open garage door. Once inside, they trained their guns on a couple and their child, walking them through the home as they collected cash and expensive jewelry. The victims weren’t entirely sure how many thieves there were, and police suspect additional accomplices could have been waiting in a getaway car, Gebhardt said.

The second break-in occurred Sunday at 9:40 p.m. A man had left his house on Pilgrim Loop and was at dinner when he got a motion signal alert on his cell phone from his home security system, police said. He watched a live video and immediately called 911, but officers arrived just minutes late, Gebhardt said.

The video footage shows five men crouched on the ground in a line, some covering their faces with hoods or bandannas. Police said all five appeared to be armed and that some of their guns had extended magazines. They walked away with a stash of electronic devices, police said. The men had apparently forced their way through a patio door in the back of the house.

Police believe the same bandits were involved in both incidents. Anyone with information about the culprits can call Fremont Police at (510) 790-6932.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov