Burglary targets widow of man fatally shot by police, California officials say

A woman whose husband was fatally shot by police left town and returned days later to find their home had been burglarized, California authorities said.

South San Francisco police shot and killed Brian Montana, 60, in a standoff April 28, KRON reported. He was a founding member of the pioneering death metal band Possessed.

His widow left town following his death, but when she returned May 2 she discovered their home had been ransacked and her vehicle stolen, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Neighbors had seen a man moving possessions from the home in the early hours of the morning but did not call police, “believing him to be a family friend”, prosecutors said.

About $15,000 in property was stolen from the home, along with a credit card that was later used at a casino and gas station in San Jose, prosecutors said.

Alameda County sheriff’s deputies later stopped the stolen vehicle and found stolen property inside, as well as a 36-year-old Newark man, prosecutors said. They also found multiple photos of a stolen item on the man’s phone, and evidence of online searches for news stories about Montana’s death.

The man found in the vehicle was arrested on charges including burglary, prosecutors said. He pleaded not guilty at a court hearing.

San Mateo County is about a 30-mile drive south from San Francisco.

This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 9:10 AM with the headline "Burglary targets widow of man fatally shot by police, California officials say."