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Burglary suspect climbs through hole in store wall — and into deputies’ waiting arms

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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.

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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.

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alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra

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