San Jose Serial Prowler caught

SAN JOSE – Marco Makalani was arrested on October 24, 2012 as what investigators have determined to be a serial prowler.

The suspect was caught near Forest Ridge Drive when the suspect was seen looking through a residential window.  A call was placed to 911 dispatchers reporting a black male wearing all black clothing going around the home peeping through closed windows.   The suspect was later booked into Santa Clara Main Jail on prowling charges PC 647 (I).

Makalani was seen prowling in this San Jose neighborhood

Throughout the course of the year prior investigations had determined that Makalani was suffering from a mental illness.  Due to his illness he had been investigated 17 times.  Aaron Rodriguez of San Jose State University’s Communication Studies Department said, “I feel like if you are getting in trouble more than seventeen times or ten times chances are what you are doing is not in the best interest of the community.”

The officers in search of the suspect were able to stop him several blocks away, and when police did a follow up, a resident was able to positively identify Makalani as the suspect who was peeping through her front door window. When officers question Makalani he appeared to be disoriented and un-responsive to general questions made by the arresting officer.

Heidi Yeoh, a sales representative at Valley Fair said, “That’s not right he was trespassing already.”  When officers had arrived at the scene, a side gate and rear entrance had been tampered with as if someone was trying to get in.  The home owner told officers that she had feared for her safety when she heard Makalani trying to enter through her front door.   Yeoh said, “If he is released, feels like if you’re the resident you don’t have protection, you wouldn’t feel safe staying in the neighborhood.”

The victim had seen the suspect leave, but then he returned in a few minutes.  Makalani continued to looking through windows, and the victim and Makalni saw each other through the front door window.  The victim did not know who this person was, or a reason why anyone would be lurking around her home. “If you are doing some deviant act especially opening someone’s gate, this would creep a lot of people out.  This reflects poorly on the neighborhood, knowing that there were prowlers in the area. It just makes everyone feel uncomfortable,” Rodriguez said.