Burglar ransacks home of family killed in crash
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
(12-01) 16:30 PST SONOMA --
A burglar broke in early today to the Sonoma home of a family of four killed over the weekend in a crash on Highway 37, ransacked the residence and stole their car, police said.
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The break-in at the home of Johnathan and Susan Maloney on Fryer Creek Drive happened between midnight and 7 a.m. today, when a neighbor reported it, said Sonoma Police Chief Bret Sackett.
The burglar got in through a side door to the garage, stole undisclosed personal items from the three-bedroom home and left in the family's silver 2006 Nissan 350Z, Sackett said.
The chief said he believed that the burglar knew that the couple, along with their children, Aiden, 8, and Gracie, 5, died Saturday night when their Nissan Quest minivan was broadsided by a Mini Cooper on Highway 37 at Lakeville Highway.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, Steven Culbertson, 19, of Lakeport (Lake County), died a day later. The California Highway Patrol said Culbertson caused the accident when he ran a red light at 70 to 90 mph.
"It's incredibly despicable," Sackett said of the burglary.
The family's relatives, he said, are "reeling from the loss of their loved ones and trying to cope with the tragedy associated with the accident. This leaves such a taste of vulnerability to them."
Bob Smith, Johnathan Maloney's co-worker and friend of 20 years, said today, "They were model citizens, so I think that any person of reasonable moral ilk would think that this was one of the most reprehensible acts that anybody can do. Even the vilest animal on the planet would have more reservations than to prey on the situation."
A neighbor of the Maloneys, retired San Francisco paramedic Henry Garcia, 54, said he was grappling to come to terms with the loss of a family he knew for 10 years.
"We built our houses at the same time. I've seen their family grow and heard the babies since the day they came from the hospital," Garcia said. "It's just a very sickening event to have this tragedy compounded."
Another neighbor, Sigrid Forsythe, 17, said, "There are cruel people in this world. They're heartless and they don't care."
The family's stolen car has a California license plate 5XOH067. Anyone with information is asked to call Sonoma police at (707) 996-3601.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/01/BA2R1ATDBD.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0YVPHLUKn
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
(12-01) 16:30 PST SONOMA --
A burglar broke in early today to the Sonoma home of a family of four killed over the weekend in a crash on Highway 37, ransacked the residence and stole their car, police said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Images
View Larger Images
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Bay Area News
Oakland police officer witnesses fatal stabbing 12.01.09
Suspect charged in fatal Tenderloin stabbing 12.01.09
ACLU backs Prop. 8 forces in disclosure case 12.01.09
Burglar ransacks home of family killed in crash 12.01.09
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The break-in at the home of Johnathan and Susan Maloney on Fryer Creek Drive happened between midnight and 7 a.m. today, when a neighbor reported it, said Sonoma Police Chief Bret Sackett.
The burglar got in through a side door to the garage, stole undisclosed personal items from the three-bedroom home and left in the family's silver 2006 Nissan 350Z, Sackett said.
The chief said he believed that the burglar knew that the couple, along with their children, Aiden, 8, and Gracie, 5, died Saturday night when their Nissan Quest minivan was broadsided by a Mini Cooper on Highway 37 at Lakeville Highway.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, Steven Culbertson, 19, of Lakeport (Lake County), died a day later. The California Highway Patrol said Culbertson caused the accident when he ran a red light at 70 to 90 mph.
"It's incredibly despicable," Sackett said of the burglary.
The family's relatives, he said, are "reeling from the loss of their loved ones and trying to cope with the tragedy associated with the accident. This leaves such a taste of vulnerability to them."
Bob Smith, Johnathan Maloney's co-worker and friend of 20 years, said today, "They were model citizens, so I think that any person of reasonable moral ilk would think that this was one of the most reprehensible acts that anybody can do. Even the vilest animal on the planet would have more reservations than to prey on the situation."
A neighbor of the Maloneys, retired San Francisco paramedic Henry Garcia, 54, said he was grappling to come to terms with the loss of a family he knew for 10 years.
"We built our houses at the same time. I've seen their family grow and heard the babies since the day they came from the hospital," Garcia said. "It's just a very sickening event to have this tragedy compounded."
Another neighbor, Sigrid Forsythe, 17, said, "There are cruel people in this world. They're heartless and they don't care."
The family's stolen car has a California license plate 5XOH067. Anyone with information is asked to call Sonoma police at (707) 996-3601.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/01/BA2R1ATDBD.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0YVPHLUKn
