Concord businesses with ties to aerospace rammed by burglars
CONCORD, Calif. - Two Concord businesses with ties to the aerospace industry are picking up the pieces after they were targeted by burglars minutes apart.
"I’m beyond frustrated, because it’s time and money out of my life. We’re a small business here," said Tyler Hagen, owner of HSD Engineering.
Surveillance video shows the driver of a white Infiniti G37 backing up and ramming Hagen's equipment repair company on Solano Way at about 9:45 p.m. Monday.
The driver damaged the roll-up door, but a forklift blocked the car from going any further.
The driver and possibly passengers took off in the G37 and an Infiniti M35. KTVU has learned the G37 was stolen and was later found by Antioch police.
But what were they after?
"I wish I could look inside their head and ask. I have quite a few questions for them," Hagen said.
Hagen repairs machines and equipment for national labs, aerospace and semiconductor companies. His company also makes medical devices. Hagen says he’s hard-pressed to explain a motive for the break-in attempt.
"I wish I knew. We both happen to be in very highly specified fields, and it is a strange coincidence that we both get hit back to back on the same night," he said.
Back to back, because five minutes before hitting Hagen’s company, the same group is believed to have targeted another company in Concord.
The video shows a caravan of cars - led by the same M35- making a beeline to Micro-Measurements and Pacific Instruments on Pike Lane at about 9:40 p.m. Monday.
The video shows what appears to be the same Infiniti G37 backing into the roll-up door. A group of young men pile out of the car, peek inside – and then take off.
This company has clients that include NASA, the military and defense companies.
"I don’t think those guys were going to sell high-tech NASA test equipment," said Jim Lyons, senior manager of operations and production.
Caravans of cars target 2 aerospace-tech companies in Concord just minutes apart, ramming the same Infiniti G37 into roll-up doors. 5:30,6:30,7:30 p.m. @KTVU pic.twitter.com/koTZDwWuue
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) May 16, 2024
Lyons said there’s been some speculation as to how this crew is picking their targets.
"People are saying that they were using some kind of heat sensors on building to see what was sucking up power to determine if it was a grow site for cannabis," Lyons said.
The twobusinesses are filled with things like circuit boards, semiconductors, turbo-molecular and cryogenic pumps.
"There's no pot here," Lyons said.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
