Crime Stoppers Tip leads San Jose detectives to a cache of stolen weapons and property
A tip from Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers in February led to the arrest last week of a burglary suspect, the recovery of nearly $2 million in stolen items and the confiscation of several “shadow weapons” in local storage lockers, San Jose police reported today.
The San Jose Police Department received a tip in February following a call to the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers organization about an unknown suspect who the caller said was selling suspected stolen goods at an online marketplace.
Detectives investigated the reports and confirmed that the property was stolen in an auto burglary in San José. Further tracking identified the seller as 24-year-old Sunnyvale resident Matthew Freudenblum, who is on probation in Santa Clara County for auto theft and credit card fraud.
Items seized from warehouses by San Jose police.
Photo by San Jose Police Department.
The investigation linked Freudenblum to two different storage facilities, police said, as likely storage locations for stolen property, for which detectives obtained search warrants. The warrants were served on April 20 and provided the following evidence:
- High-end medical equipment worth over $1.5 million (stolen in San Jose)
- Two Go-Kart vehicles worth nearly $50,000 (stolen in burglary in San Mateo County)
- Numerous electronic devices stolen, including an iPad (stolen from a teacher’s car in Palo Alto)
- Several sets of golf clubs (stolen in several different vehicle break-ins in the Bay Area)
- Music equipment (stolen during a burglary in San José)
- A “Ghost Gun” assault rifle without a serial number
- Six “Ghost Gun” pistols without serial numbers at various stages of assembly
- A serialized handgun (stolen in a vehicle break-in in Morgan Hill)
Matthew Freudenblum, Sunnyvale, arrested for a series of burglaries in San Jose.
San Jose Police Photo
Detectives worked closely with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office to obtain an arrest warrant for Freudenblum, charging him with multiple burglaries, robberies and weapons violations.
San Jose police arrested Freudenblum on April 28 and found additional evidence in his vehicle, including property taken from another burglary and an additional “ghost gun.” This weapon was loaded and concealed in a hidden compartment of Freudenblum’s vehicle.
He was charged in Santa Clara County Superior Court with grand larceny, burglary, sale of stolen property and possession of illegal weapons. Bail was set at $1 million.
Freudenblum is currently in custody and detectives said they are working to return the property to the victims, as well as identify other cases. Anyone with information about this case or similar incidents involving this suspect is asked to contact Detective Potwora #3506 of the Burglary Unit with any information about this incident at (408) 277-4401 or via email [email protected]
Submit crime tips and remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or visiting the Crime Stoppers website. If the information you submit leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers program.
