February 8, 2026 – San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office officials report that Deputies responded to a burglary in progress after a homeowner called to report his back door had been vandalized and he could hear someone inside. Deputies made entry and cleared the home but initially did not locate anyone. As deputies attempted to exit the residence, K9 Jet alerted again, prompting deputies to take another look.

Deputies returned to a locked crawl space inside a bedroom closet that leads under the home. K9 Deputy Engeldinger deployed his partner, K9 Jet, who immediately began alerting to something underneath the home. Even when nothing was visible, Jet wasn’t backing down. His nose knew better.

Turns out Jet was right. K9 Jet helped locate a suspect hiding underneath the house and successfully engaged him. The suspect was taken into custody, treated for injuries, and booked into jail.

This is exactly why our K9 partners are so critical in law enforcement, especially during high-risk situations where visibility is limited. Our K9 partners can detect what deputies can’t see, helping locate suspects, reduce the risk of an ambush, and bring situations like this to a safer, faster resolution.

Outstanding work by the responding deputies, Deputy Engeldinger, and K9 Jet.

Source & photo: San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office