Crime & Safety

Burglary Suspects Plead Not Guilty

A preliminary hearing for the two was set for Aug. 24.

The two suspects  for their alleged involvement in the  in Belmont pleaded not guilty in San Mateo County Superior Court on Friday.

Travis Castellanos, 21, of South San Francisco, and 20-year-old Jenna Montani of San Mateo both appeared in court at Friday's in-custody arraignment.

Separated from the courtroom by a glass partition, both donned orange jail jumpsuits, and neither defendant spoke during the hearing.

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Bail for Castellanos was set at $100,000 for his most recent charges, after the district attorney's office requested the judge increase his bail from $75,000.

Castellanos also has a separate bail amount set at $75,000 for prior theft charges. Should he desire to be released, he would need to post 10 percent of $100,000, and 10 percent of $75,000, Assistant District Attorney Karen Guidotti said.

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From his , Castellanos is charged with two counts of possession of stolen property, five counts of petty theft with prior theft convictions, and three counts of grand theft -- all felonies, Guidotti said.

He is also charged with misdemeanor of being under the influence of a controlled substance and misdemeanor of being in possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the May arrest.

In the case connected to his arrest Wednesday, Castellanos is charged with three counts of car theft, four counts of possession of stolen property, according to Guidotti.

Montani, who was arrested with Castellanos this week, is charged with one count of receiving stolen property and one count of possession of paraphernalia. Her bail was set Friday at $10,000.

The preliminary hearing for both defendants was set for Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. A superior court review was also scheduled for Montani on Aug. 17 at 1:30 p.m.

Detectives believe Castellanos and Montani may be responsible for hundreds of thefts throughout the Peninsula, and are coordinating with area law enforcement officials as part of the investigation, DeSmidt said.

Wednesday night was the third time Castellanos had been arrested in Belmont for theft or burglary in the past 18 months, according to DeSmidt.

Three Belmont residents attended Friday's arraignment and urged the district attorney's office prior to the hearing to set bail as high as possible.

"As a concerned citizen, I'm bothered by the rash of crimes," Belmont resident George Metropulos said. "That's why we're here, to send a very clear message that we are not going to be easy targets."

Another Belmont resident who wished to remain anonymous said the crimes have shocked the ordinarily quiet community.

"Nothing bad ever happens in Belmont," the resident said. "It's just been so jarring."

Jeff Mannie, another concerned resident who organized a  with police following some of the thefts, said he is grateful to the  for their hard work but believes there may still be thieves out there.

"I'm not still convinced that it's just this particular case," Mannie said outside the courtroom.


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