Suspect now in custody

Thieves last month stole over $60,000 worth of "computers and personal items" from the home of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The house, on the 2100 block of Waverley Street in Palo Alto, was actually broken into on July 17th. It took until August 2nd however for police to arrest Kariem McFarlin, a 35-year-old man from Alameda. On August 7th, he was arraigned on one count of residential burglary and selling stolen property.

Bail has been set at $500,000, and the suspect could potentially face a sentence as long as seven years and eight months, which includes an extra year for "excessive taking of property," according to Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Tom Flattery. McFarlin is set to return to court on August 20th to enter a plea.

Flattery has refused to say whether or not the stolen property included some of Steve Jobs' posthumous possessions or if it instead belonged to other members of the Jobs family. Police and the DA's office have in fact kept quiet on most details of the case, although Flattery does suggest that McFarlin likely didn't know he was breaking into the Jobs residence. "The best we can tell is it was totally random," the attorney remarks.

Laurene and other surviving members of the Jobs family were likely living away from the house at the time of the break-in, since in July the building was surrounded by a construction barrier. City permits show that stucco and trim are being replaced, and that two new electrical panels are being installed. In all the work will cost the family in excess of $31,000.

The Bay Area has seen double-digit increases in burglaries during the first half of 2012. Palo Alto has been particularly bad, seeing a 63 percent increase; area police blame people leaving doors and windows unlocked.

By Electronista Staff

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Steve Jobs, California, Apple