San Mateo Burglary Suspects Plead Not Guilty

The suspects accused in a string of recent burglaries in San Mateo and Burlingame have pleaded not guilty in San Mateo County Superior Court.

Melissa Pearlene Butler, 20, and Marc Anthony Jordan, 23, pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with at least 10 robberies in San Mateo and Burlingame at their initial felony arraignment Monday.

The pair along with a juvenile were early Thursday after the county task force identified three suspects in the series of robberies, and detectives obtained search warrants for their East Palo Alto homes.

Police said that property seized during the searches linked the suspects to a robbery in which two suspects brandishing handguns approached a delivery driver as he returned to his vehicle after a delivery. The suspects demanded the driver's money, assaulted the man, and fled on foot after taking his cash and property.

Another similar incident occurred two days later, when a man exiting a vehicle on South Grant Street was approached by two suspects, one who brandished a handgun. The suspects assaulted the man, took his property and cash, and fled on foot.

Similar robberies also happened in Burlingame and Belmont on Wednesday of that week.

In the , employees of a local restaurant were walking to their cars after closing the restaurant for the night when three suspects approached and demanded money. Two of the suspects brandished handguns, and the trio took a purse and laptop from one victim and money from the other, Belmont police said.

The suspects fled south on Civic Lane toward Broadway, Belmont police said.

During Thursday morning's searches, detectives seized a handgun that police said matched the description of the one used in the robberies.

A preliminary hearing date for the defendants was set for Aug. 26 at 9 a.m.