Fresno council member Esmeralda Soria’s home burglarized

Fresno City Council member Esmeralda Soria was the victim of a burglar who struck her Tower District home Tuesday and took some jewelry, according to information posted on Facebook.

“My house got broken into today. Please take extra precautions in your homes, you don’t want to become a victim of property crime,” Soria posted. She added that the crook left a Raider shirt behind in her bedroom.

Soria represents District 1. Reached Wednesday morning, said she police had just finished visiting her home to investigate the crime and had taken fingerprints.

“I didn’t get special treatment,” she joked.

She said that in addition to the Raider wear, the burglar left behind a tool used to pry open a window. Soria said that she did not have an alarm in her home, but that she was now going to have one installed.

Soria said she had recently purchased her Tower District residence. She previously lived in the nearby Fresno High School area.

“I’ve always been an advocate of insuring that we have the resources to prevent crime,” including adequate police patrols, she said.

“I’ve never felt unsafe – it kind of took me back,” she said of the break-in. She added that she was concerned about inmate releases from the Fresno County Jail because of a federal court order that limits jail capacity, but noted that crime often increases during the holiday season. She said the Fresno community also needs to “think comprehensively” about how to deal with crime.

On her Facebook page, Soria said she was trying to put the incident behind her.

“I declare that today will be a better day! Thank you to all my family, friends and neighbors for your support. No one should have to go through such experience ... things must change.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Fresno council member Esmeralda Soria’s home burglarized."