San Mateo police arrested a 31-year-old Los Gatos man Tuesday after he allegedly stole $1,200 in merchandise from the Home Depot on Chess Drive, then fled in a white Lexus SUV that officers tracked using the department's drone surveillance technology.

Kingston Tasker, whom police described as a known repeat theft offender at the store, was stopped and detained after the San Mateo Police Department's Drone as First Responder program and its Real Time Information Center located his vehicle leaving the area, according to a department press release issued Wednesday, July 29.

The incident began around 1:05 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, when officers responded to the Home Depot at 2001 Chess Drive. Home Depot Asset Protection staff confronted Tasker as he exited with the stolen items. He abandoned the merchandise in the parking lot and drove off.

Officers used the DFR drone and RTIC to track Tasker's registered vehicle, conducted a traffic stop, and took him into custody. During a search of the SUV, they recovered stolen merchandise connected to a separate Home Depot theft in East Palo Alto.

Tasker was booked at San Mateo County Jail.

He faces charges of second-degree burglary and petty theft with two or more prior theft convictions. The second charge, under California Penal Code 666.1(A)(1), is a felony that elevates what would otherwise be a misdemeanor shoplifting offense when a defendant has multiple prior theft convictions.

How the drone program works

The RTIC launched in 2024 as a central hub integrating real-time mapping, live camera feeds, automated license plate reader technology, and drone support. In a December 2025 press release recognizing the program's first full year, Police Chief Ed Barberini said the center has fundamentally changed how the department responds to emergencies and supports officers in the field.

Through December 2025, the DFR program had completed 974 flights in support of police operations. Drone operators located individuals on 157 calls that year, including fleeing suspects, missing persons, and people in medical emergencies. In more than 70 cases, the drone arrived on scene before patrol officers.

The program has drawn attention beyond San Mateo. On April 10, the department hosted Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, along with an EU delegation studying the use of police drones in the United States, the department said on X.

Per department policy, the DFR program is prohibited from conducting random surveillance or targeting individuals based solely on perceived characteristics.

Anyone who witnesses a crime can contact San Mateo police at (650) 522-7700 or call 911.