Following an attempted break-in at the Stanford National Accelerator Laboratory over the weekend, San Mateo County authorities detained a man on several charges.
Deputies were dispatched to the laboratory located on the 2500 block of Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sunday after receiving reports of a suspicious individual with bolt cutters, according to the sheriff’s office. The suspect was described to deputies along with his last known whereabouts on the expansive property, which spans over 400 acres in the San Mateo County hills.
The suspect tried to escape on foot toward Interstate 280, but deputies found him during the search.
A perimeter was set up by deputies. The defendant was apprehended after being discovered hidden in dense bushes with the assistance of a K-9 team.
Tools used for burglaries were discovered during a search of the area. According to deputies, there was additional damage to the fence where the suspect was initially found.
On suspicion of attempted burglary, vandalism, possession of burglary tools, and resisting arrest, the suspect—46-year-old Ronald D. Simpson of Castro Valley—was taken into custody and checked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City. According to deputies, he was also the subject of two pending warrants for theft.
Simpson is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, according to jail documents.
The laboratory was established in 1962 and has one of the longest buildings in the world, with a particle accelerator that stretches over 3 kilometers (1.90 miles).
Stanford University has been contacted by CBS News Bay Area for comment.
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