Burglary suspect climbs through hole in store wall — and into deputies’ waiting arms
A man suspected of burglarizing a pawn shop in Whittier was taken into custody Thursday after getting stuck in a hole in the wall while trying to escape, officials said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was alerted after a burglar alarm was activated at the store in the 11000 block of Whittier Boulevard. When officers arrived, they could see a man inside, said Lt. Jodi Hutak.
Authorities said the intruder, who was in his 20s, had locked himself inside and was damaging merchandise in the store.
After several hours, the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Enforcement Bureau was called to assist, Hutak said. The team was waiting outside when the man tried to escape through a hole he had knocked into the wall.
“There were no doors unlocked for him to be able to get out, so he created a way out,” she said. “He was stuck.”
Hutak said the man damaged several thousand dollars’ worth of items in the pawn shop. He was arrested on suspicion of burglary.
alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com
Twitter: @r_valejandra
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