Someone took $200,000 worth of jewelry from a house in Atherton on Saturday, Nov. 16, according to the Atherton Police Department.

The thief forced entry through a door at the rear of a house on the unit block of Atherton Avenue sometime between 7:52 and 8:07 p.m. that evening and made off with the jewelry, according to police.

During a community meeting with residents on Monday, Nov. 18, Police Chief Steve McCulley said there is a chance the theft was an "inside job" — a crime committed by or with the assistance of a person living or working on the premises where it occurred.

The case is still under investigation, Atherton Police Sgt. Anthony Kockler said in an email.

So far this year, there have been 18 residential burglaries, McCulley said at the meeting. Residents were concerned — and seeking answers from the police department — by a rash of 20 home burglaries between November 2018 and February 2019.

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