Jury convicts Gary Lee Roberts II of burglarizing Atascadero home

By Staff Report · Fri Oct 02 2026

ATASCADERO — A San Luis Obispo County jury found Gary Lee Roberts II, 38, guilty Sept. 30 of first-degree residential burglary and attempted first-degree residential burglary in connection with a 2025 break-in at an Atascadero home.

According to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, Roberts targeted the same home on Oct. 7 and Oct. 9, 2025.

The homeowner first saw Roberts on her security camera Oct. 6, when he approached her front door, knocked and asked for someone named “Jeff.” The homeowner told him through the camera that no one by that name lived there, and he left.

The following day, Roberts returned while the homeowner was at work. Security footage showed him wearing a hat, mask and hooded sweatshirt as he attempted to open the front door and searched a planter near the entrance, apparently looking for a hidden key. He left but returned about a minute later and continued searching until the homeowner spoke to him through the camera and told him he was being recorded. He then fled.

The homeowner reported the incident to Atascadero police and took additional security measures, including keeping her doors locked and securing her windows with jammers.

On Oct. 9, the homeowner again saw Roberts on her security cameras and contacted law enforcement before driving home. While waiting for officers, she saw Roberts leave her home carrying her personal property. The homeowner confronted him and pushed him into bushes to prevent him from leaving. A struggle followed, during which she punched Roberts before Atascadero officers arrived and detained him.

Officers found the rear sliding-glass door shattered and the home ransacked. The front door and locked metal security screen door were also open. The homeowner later found a hammer inside the home that did not belong to her.

“This victim showed extraordinary courage,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “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. No one should ever have to protect their own home this way, and we always encourage people to put their safety first and call 911. But we are deeply grateful for her strength, both on that morning and throughout this trial.”

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home,” Dow continued. “This verdict shows our criminal and victim justice system working the way it should: a victim who spoke up, officers who responded quickly, a prosecutor who presented the evidence with care, and a jury that carefully weighed the facts. Our team will continue to stand with this victim through sentencing.”

Roberts remains in custody. He waived his right to a jury trial on the remaining allegations, which will be decided by Judge Crystal T. Seiler in a court trial scheduled for Oct. 19 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 9 of San Luis Obispo County Superior Court.

The court will consider alleged aggravating factors and an allegation that Roberts has a prior serious and violent felony conviction for assault with a deadly weapon in San Luis Obispo County in 2015. Those allegations have not been decided. A sentencing date has not been set.