San Ramon police say drone-first-response helped track suspects in Heller’s Jewelers robbery; seven in custody

San Ramon police told the City Council on Sept. 23 that the department’s drone-as-first-responder program and coordinated interagency work helped track suspects in an armed robbery at Heller’s Jewelers that occurred the previous day.

Chief Carlson said a patrol sergeant picked up a neighboring agency’s radio broadcast that an armed robbery crew might be in Dublin; the San Ramon drone team was in the air near City Center within seconds and began providing situational awareness to officers converging on the scene. “Our drone as a first responder team was on duty, and so they went airborne. They were actually above City Center, when the suspects ran out of the cars. They started broadcasting information to our patrol units 30 seconds before the first 911 call was received by our dispatch center,” Carlson said.

Carlson said six cars fled City Center after the burglary. San Ramon officers followed and engaged in a pursuit until air and CHP support took over on the freeway; officers later had seven people in custody and were working to apprehend additional suspects. “We have 7 people already in custody for this crime. We're working on the rest of them,” Carlson said. He told the council there were 23 individuals inside the store during the incident; the suspects in custody ranged in age from 17 to 31.

City staff and the chief cautioned that the investigation remains active and that the department would limit public disclosure to avoid jeopardizing the case. The chief confirmed the retail area and city center were open the following day but that Heller’s itself remained closed while repairs were made to the storefront.

City officials and the police chief praised the drone capability. The city manager, who said he previously served as a public information officer, told the council the drone program “is such a game changer for us when it comes to situational awareness, when it comes to safety.” He and the chief said the drone footage and rapid air support helped limit risk to officers and the public while enabling coordinated pursuit and tracking with neighboring agencies.

Why this matters: The department credited rapid aerial surveillance and multiagency coordination with locating and detaining suspects in a high‑risk burglary; officials said the incident demonstrates the operational benefits of aerial assets for public safety and investigative follow-up.

Next steps: The San Ramon Police Department continues the criminal investigation and will release further details as appropriate; the council was asked to support continued investment in public‑safety capabilities and interagency cooperation.