Full Notification

What in carnation? He couldn’t buy himself flowers, so he broke in and stole a cash register instead. He got away the first time, but when he tried another florist shop the following night, SMPD was in the area just as the burglar alarm went off and caught him while he tried to smell the roses.

San Mateo, CA – While patrolling S. El Camino Real early this morning, Saturday, May 27, 2023, at 2:59am, San Mateo Police Officers heard an alarm bell sounding at Ah Sam Floral Co., 2645 S. El Camino Real. Standing on the sidewalk out front, officers spotted a male, later identified as Andre Murphy. When spotted by officers, Murphy ran westbound across El Camino Real, where he was safely detained in a nearby parking lot. Upon inspection of the floral shop, it was discovered the front door to the business had been shattered and two cash registers were laying on the sidewalk. Security footage was obtained and confirmed Murphy was the subject who burglarized the closed business by shooting the front glass doors with a BB gun. He then entered and exited the shop with the cash registers.

Yesterday, Friday, May 26, 2023, SMPD officers took a similar report of a commercial burglary at San Mateo Florist & Gifts (2341 S. El Camino Real), located less than 800 feet north of Ah Sam’s. In that case, the glass front doors were shattered, and a cash register was stolen as well. Security footage showed a male subject burglarized the business in the evening of Thursday, May 25, 2023. Video footage was clear enough to determine the clothing worn by this suspect matched the clothing Murphy had been wearing when stopped by officers, with the exception of his shoes. The matching shoes worn in the first burglary were later found in his vehicle during a search incident to arrest.

Murphy was arrested for both commercial burglaries and was discovered to have a history of floral shop burglaries behind him and was on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS). He was transported to county jail and “booked” on two counts of second-degree burglary.

Video and alarm systems are important investments, not only for your business, but for your home as well. If you have these systems already, please make sure they are functional, aimed appropriately (minimally at ingress & egress points), and that the time and date is always correct. You can register the location of your security camera with us at https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/2726/Security-Camera-Registration.

ARRESTED:

Andre Murphy, age 51, Oakland Resident

CHARGES:

460(b) PC, Second degree burglary, two counts