A burglary suspect was arrested in Greenbrae on Thursday after a dramatic switch from a laundromat heist to a rooftop standoff with Central Marin Police and other law enforcement agencies. According to Central Marin Police, the incident began close to midnight when a man shattered the front window of a business on the 2100 block of Redwood Highway.
Officers arriving at the scene discovered a broken window, along with a bicycle and backpack, abandoned near the laundromat entrance within a recreational vehicle park. Francisco Lugo Garcia, 36, of San Rafael, was caught after he drilled out a cash/coin machine inside the laundromat and fled to the attic, followed by the roof. Collaboration was visible as outside agencies, including a Marin County Sheriff’s Office and the Novato Police Department, joined the fray as backup.
Police perimeter cemented, the authorities hoped to coax Lugo Garcia down without incident. Nevertheless, the situation escalated as Lugo Garcia ignored commands and began hopping from one rooftop to another to escape. During the standoff, "Lugo Garcia presented what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun from his waistband," the police recounted, adding a tense dimension to an already fraught scenario. Officers defused the situation when Lugo Garcia finally yielded to orders, discarding the gun, which was later identified as a loaded black pellet gun missing orange safety markings.
Negotiations with the suspect persisted for some 25 minutes before he gave in and was arrested by Central Marin Police. Lugo Garcia is facing a slew of charges: burglary, felony vandalism, resisting arrest, and brandishing a replica firearm. Business owners later aided police by assessing the damage and supplying security footage that captured the crime. Lugo Garcia was booked into the Marin County Jail.
