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At least 18 businesses – most of which were restaurants – were burglarized throughout Pleasanton early Thursday morning, leaving owners like Leigh De La Torre with expensive repair costs and a fear that crime is only getting worse in the Tri-Valley.
“I think everybody needs to have their guard up now,” De La Torre told the Pleasanton Weekly. “I don’t think anyone’s safe.”
Pleasanton Police Department Lt. Brandon Stocking said the string of break-ins started around 4 a.m. Thursday (Sept. 10).
Officers had responded to a burglary alarm in the 2700 block of Stoneridge Drive where they discovered multiple businesses with broken front windows, Stocking said. According to the PPD Crime Map, at least five burglaries were reported in that area.
Then, around 4:35 a.m., Stocking said PPD’s dispatch received another report of a burglary in progress at multiple businesses in Mission Plaza, which is located near the corner of Santa Rita Road and Valley Avenue.
Stocking said four people shrouded in hooded sweatshirts were seen “smashing front glass windows and leaving one business with a cash register” before getting into a sedan with no license plates.
“Officers quickly arrived and located the suspect vehicle with all suspects believed to be inside,” Stocking said. “Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and a pursuit ensued.”
He said officers chased the suspects eastbound down Stanley Boulevard but, due to safety concerns, they terminated the chase west of Highway 84.
“Surrounding law enforcement agencies were notified,” Stocking said.
Throughout the rest of the morning, Stocking said PPD identified at least 18 businesses across the city that were burglarized, with the majority of them being restaurants.
“Officers continue to investigate the burglaries and additional victims may be identified throughout the day,” Stocking said.
He noted how, prior to Thursday’s incidents, there had been 18 reported burglaries during the entire year and 23 commercial burglaries during the same time period in 2025.
One of the businesses that was burglarized was De La Torre’s Trattoria, located at the Val Vista Shopping Center on West Las Positas Boulevard and Hopyard Road.
Restaurant owner De La Torre, who has been serving the community for 34 years in that plaza, said she has never seen anything like this in all her years her.
She said four burglars smashed the front doors of four businesses in the Val Vista plaza, except for Zen Day Spa who had their big window smashed. She said the culprits went inside, grabbed what they could and quickly left.
She did not want to share how much money she lost during the incident but noted that replacing the door itself was going to be costly.
Looking ahead, De La Torre said business owners and community members alike need to be more cautious as crime continues to increase. She said Pleasanton isn’t a small town anymore and people need to realize that these sorts of things can now happen to just about anyone.
To that point, Danville police have been investigating after more than a dozen break-ins that occurred in and around downtown Danville on Sept. 1. Pleasanton police also had to deal with a string of home invasions in early March.
De La Torre said that while she understands how hard it is for police to be everywhere at all times, she would like to see more of a presence of officers patrolling around and surveilling the community because, even with all the cameras available, it wouldn’t make much of a difference when suspects are covered head to toe, just like the ones from Thursday morning.
“I think we’re going to see more of this,” she said. “This isn’t something that’s going away.”
Growth in Population = Growth in Crime. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something or has an agenda. I hope voters are paying attention and vote accordingly this November. Hopefully, Pleasanton Weekly can ask candidates how they plan to limit growth and control crime.
Pleasanton’s recent cluster of commercial burglaries is real, but it does not change the city’s long standing reality: Pleasanton remains one of the lowest crime cities in California, and statewide data shows commercial burglary has actually been declining, even as occasional local spikes occur. Meanwhile, Pleasanton’s growth obligations are not optional—they are mandated by California state law, not by local political preference.
Pleasanton has had a handful of commercial break ins this week, and that’s understandably concerning for business owners. But let’s keep perspective: Pleasanton remains one of the safest cities in California, with crime levels far below state averages. Statewide DOJ data shows commercial burglary has actually declined 12.5% and is 6.2% below pre pandemic levels. Property crime overall is at its lowest level since 1985.
A short term spike—like the one Pleasanton police are investigating—doesn’t mean the city is suddenly unsafe. Even local reporting notes these break ins appear to be opportunistic, not organized, and police are actively working with affected businesses.
As for “voting for anti growth candidates,” that misunderstands how California law works. Pleasanton doesn’t get to choose whether to grow. State housing mandates require every city to plan for a certain amount of housing, and Pleasanton must comply or face penalties. These requirements come from Sacramento—not from any local council majority. Cities that refuse to meet their housing obligations lose zoning control and can even face state enforcement.
So blaming local candidates for “growth” is simply inaccurate. Pleasanton must follow state law, and responsible leaders focus on managing growth well—not pretending it can be avoided.
In short:
• Yes, the break ins are concerning.
• No, Pleasanton is not experiencing a crime wave.
• And no, “anti growth” candidates cannot exempt Pleasanton from state mandated housing requirements.
Let’s stay factual and avoid using isolated incidents to push political narratives that don’t match reality.