Novato police intercept vandalism suspects at office
Novato police arrested three men on allegations of vandalizing a vacant office space downtown.
An employee at a nearby business notified police at about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday that several police had entered the property on Grant Avenue. Officers detained the three suspects and determined they had damaged walls and carpeting and “left waste items” there, police Lt. Sophia Winter said. She did not specify a suspected motive.
Novato residents Martin Velasquez, 64, Robert Thorne III, 43, and Antonio Oerding-Pierce, 46, were arrested on suspicion of vandalism and burglary. Velasquez also is accused of violating terms of his probation, and Thorne allegedly possessed drug paraphernalia.
Velasquez is being held without a bail amount at the Marin County Jail, according to the booking log. The bail amount is $15,000 for the other suspects.