With DNA evidence in hand from a blood sample, the Marin County Sheriff's Office has tied a 20-year-old San Rafael man — already serving a jail sentence — to a residential burglary in the Santa Venetia neighborhood.
Brandon Melvin Spencer was re-booked into Marin County Jail after blood results from a piece of broken glass, collected during a home robbery in April 2012, were traced to him.
Spencer was already in custody in October 2012 on a robbery charge, which also took place in April. A blood sample was taken on him in December 2012, and this week results from the test showed a match to the blood from the robbery on Vendola Drive in Santa Venetia.
Spencer has since been sentenced to three years for the April 2012 robbery of the Going Green Marijuana Dispensary in Santa Venetia.
Spencer's original home burglary arrest was assisted in part by the Terra Linda and Marinwood Neighborhood Watch Program, which is helping officers solve crime. Dispatchers credited the program for helping catch three suspects, including Spencer, in April 2012.
Since the creation of the neighborhood watch program in December 2011, the number of calls dispatchers received has increased and homeowners are feeling safer, said organizer John Buckley.
The neighborhood watch’s website has been tracking incidents in the area to keep people informed.
Anyone wishing to give crime tips is encouraged to call the Marin County Sheriff’s Office at 415-479-2311. To remain anonymous and possibly become eligible for a cash reward, call Bay Area Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS
