Man convicted of burglarizing Atascadero home

October 1, 2026

Gary Lee Roberts II

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A San Luis Obispo County jury convicted a man of burglary over a break-in at an Atascadero home last October, which ended with the female victim punching the burglar in the face, leading to his capture by police.

The jury convicted Gary Lee Roberts II, 38, of first-degree residential burglary and attempted first-degree residential burglary for targeting the same Atascadero home on Oct. 7 and Oct. 9, 2025. Both crimes are considered serious felonies under California law.

On Oct. 6, 2025, the victim first saw Roberts when her home surveillance camera recorded him at her front door. Roberts knocked and asked for someone named “Jeff.”

The victim did not know Roberts, and she had never seen him before that day, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.

The next morning, while the victim was at work, Roberts returned to the home wearing a hat, a mask and a hooded sweatshirt. Roberts tried to open the front door and then searched a planter box near the entrance, turning over rocks, as if he was looking for a hidden key, surveillance video showed.

Roberts left, then returned about a minute later. He kept searching until the victim spoke to him through the camera and told him he was being recorded. Roberts then ran off.

The victim reported the attempted break-in to the Atascadero Police Department, who were unable to find prints.

Following the incident, the victim took steps to protect her home, keeping her doors locked and securing her windows with jammers.

On the morning of Oct. 9, the victim again saw Roberts on her camera system. She called law enforcement and drove home.

While waiting for officers to arrive, the victim saw Roberts walk out of her home carrying property that belonged to her. The victim confronted Roberts and pushed him into bushes. A struggle ensued, and the victim punched Roberts in the face as Atascadero police officers arrived and detained him at the scene.

Officers found the rear sliding glass door of the residence had been shattered, and the home had been ransacked. The victim later found a hammer inside her home that did not belong to her. She believed Roberts had used the hammer to break the glass door.

“This victim showed extraordinary courage,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement. “For days she watched a stranger try to get into her home. When she saw him walking out her door with her belongings, she faced him directly and made sure he could not run off before officers arrived. Because of her bravery, he was caught in the act and has now been held accountable by a jury.”

Roberts is still facing potential enhancements to his convictions. A judge will rule on alleged factors in aggravation, as well as the allegation that Roberts has a prior strike for assault with a deadly weapon in San Luis Obispo County in 2015.

The defendant waived his right to a jury on the remaining allegations. Judge Crystal T. Seiler will hold a court trial on the allegations on Oct. 19.

A sentencing date for Roberts has yet to be set.