Man accused of tunneling into jewelry store found covered in debris, California cops say
An accused jewelry store burglar was arrested after he was found covered in debris, California deputies say.
When deputies arrived at a Yucaipa jewelry store at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday, March 30, after a burglary alarm went off, they found a utility room door had been pried open, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in an April 1 news release.
They also found a large hole had been cut to get inside the store, the department said.
Deputies said video surveillance showed a man, who was in shorts and an Under Armor sweatshirt, “pulling a wagon on the side of the business.”
The same man was also seen using a saw to try to cut the store’s front door lock, according to deputies.
While deputies were searching the area, they said they spotted a man “peering around the corner from a restaurant across the street.”
The man tried to ride away on a bicycle but was stopped by deputies, the sheriff’s department said.
The man was wearing the same clothing as the subject in the surveillance video and was “covered in drywall debris and insulation,” similar to material from “the hole inside the store’s utility room,” deputies said.
After searching the area, deputies said they found a red wagon with power tools, pry bars and a saw.
The 38-year-old Yucaipa man was arrested and booked into jail on a count of commercial burglary, deputies say.
Yucaipa is about a 75-mile drive east from Los Angeles.
This story was originally published April 1, 2024 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Man accused of tunneling into jewelry store found covered in debris, California cops say."
