Ocean Beach

San Diego firefighters helped a Vista man out of a tight jam Wednesday night, and police promptly arrested him, police spokesman Bill Robinson said.

Responding to a call of a possible burglary and of screams for help, police found Kevin Charles Jones, 32, stuck in the air vent of Gary Gilmore, Goldsmith, a jewelry store in the 4900 block of Newport Avenue.

Jones entered the 8-foot-long, 1-foot-wide air duct through the roof but became jammed when his upper body could not pass a fan at the bottom of the vent.

Police entered the store and found Jones venting his frustrations by kicking the bathroom walls of the store and screaming for help, store owner Gary Gilmore said.

With his legs dangling and his upper body firmly lodged in the vent, police attempted to pull Jones out of the air duct but were unsuccessful.

From the roof, firefighters freed the man by pulling him through the top of the vent with a rope. Jones was then arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary and taken to County Jail.