On Tuesday morning, an alarm at a business inside Sunrise Mall heralded a burglary in progress, as per a report from the Citrus Heights Police Department. Responding to the scene, officers encountered the remnants of the crime — a shattered window providing stark testimony to the breach and the innards of the store laid bare, with several jewelry display cases destroyed in a brazen smash-and-grab operation.
Thanks to sharp surveillance by mall security, who provided a detailed suspect description, police quickly located a man on foot trying to leave the area. They noticed something unusual—why would anyone carry a suitcase at such an early hour unless hiding more than petty secrets? When approached, the man had fresh cuts and blood on his hand, suggesting a hurried escape. Police later linked his injuries to broken glass at the crime scene.
The suspect, a 34-year-old man from Auburn, was thus apprehended, his bid for flight cut short by law's long arm, and the Citrus Heights PD later confirmed in a social media post that "inside the suitcase officers located over $91,000.00 in stolen jewelry which was taken from the business during the burglary." The spoils of the burglary were returned to their rightful owner.
The man, whose gambit ended in handcuffs, was soon booked into Sacramento County Jail on charges of burglary and possession of burglary tools. His name has not been released, but his actions are now etched in police records.
