A series of smash and grab robberies that began in Long Beach early Friday ended when two of the three suspects were caught by police while in the process of forcing their way into a Sprint store in Westminster.
About 2:20 a.m. Friday, Long Beach police were told a red pick-up truck had been smashed into a jewelry store, where suspects stole several pieces of jewelry, said Cynthia Arrona of the Long Beach Police Department. That store was in the 4600 block of Los Coyotes Diagonal.
Around 3:27 a.m. officers were sent to another smash and grab robbery, in the 400 block of West Anaheim Street were a vehicle had driven into a game store. Following that, a stolen red pickup truck matching the description from the two smash-and-grab robberies was recovered in the 1400 block of Chestnut Place, Arrona said.
About 4:30 a.m. police officers responded to a burglary in progress call at a Sprint store, 6761 Westminster Blvd., where officers saw several suspects loading a vehicle with stolen items from within the store. The store’s windows were broken, said Westminster Police Cmdr. Cameron Knauerhaze.
The suspects tried to drive off in a vehicle, but were blocked and it crashed into a pole. The suspects ran into the night.
Two suspects were immediately captured after a brief foot chase, Knauerhaze said.
A third suspect fled into the neighborhood area off Rondeau Street and a perimeter was set up. He was described as a black male wearing black clothing, and he was not captured.
Westminster police officers recovered about $25,000 worth of merchandise for the suspects’ vehicle.
“The suspects may also be connected to a similar burglary in Long Beach, just prior to getting captured by the Westminster Police Department,” Knauerhaze said.
Westminster police asked anyone with any information regarding the burglary to call them at (714) 898-3315.
—City News Service