Police Find Suspected Burglars Hiding Near Madera Elementary

An elementary school in El Cerrito was briefly put on lock down Thursday as officers searched the surrounding neighborhood for suspects in a nearby home burglary, police said. 

Police said a resident near the intersection of Brewster and Devonshire drives called 911 at 10:23 a.m. to report a burglary at a neighbor's home.

Officers arrived, set up a perimeter and began to search for the suspects. Lt. Paul Keith said the three suspects at that time ran from the house, jumped into a car and sped off.

They were followed by police vehicles. The suspects eventually parked the car in a rear parking lot at Madera Elementary School, ran across a field and went into the back yard of a home on Arlington, Keith said.

The school went into lock down as a precaution at 10:35 a.m. 

The officers eventually located three suspects hiding in back yards next to school grounds and arrested them in connection with the burglary. One of the suspects was taken down by a San Pablo Police Department dog, Keith said.

The school lock down was lifted about 11 a.m.

Keith identified the three suspects as Anthony Branch, 20, of Pinole, Keyon Wilson Jr., 20, of Vacaville and Tyree Williams-Gomez, 18, of Richmond.

Keith said the arrests were made because of the quick phone calls neighbors made as soon as they saw the men entering the home.

"If they hadn't called, we probably wouldn't have even known this was happening," said Keith.