Early Tuesday morning, a driver turned the CVS on Highway 49 in North Auburn into an unplanned drive-thru, ramming a car straight through the front entrance and leaving the vehicle lodged inside the store. Placer County Sheriff’s deputies were called out around 4:30 a.m. and arrived to find the car abandoned. Surveillance video appears to show the driver bolting on foot, then hopping into a second vehicle that was waiting outside before speeding off.
Deputies: Driver Abandoned Stolen Vehicle And Fled
According to deputies, the car used in the crash appears to have been stolen out of Sacramento, and at least on the initial walkthrough it looked like nothing had been taken from inside the CVS, CBS Sacramento reported. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office released a photo of the vehicle wedged into the storefront and said detectives were remaining on scene as the investigation moved forward.
Investigators See Possible Link To Wider Break-In Pattern
This crash is the latest in a string of early-morning break-ins and smash-and-grab cases across Placer County and surrounding areas, including a spree earlier this year in which suspects used a stolen SUV to hit several North Auburn businesses, KCRA reported. That earlier probe led to arrests after deputies traced a vehicle back to Sacramento, underscoring a pattern in which thieves rely on multiple cars and fast getaways.
Retail Smash Tactics Keep Authorities On Alert
Using stolen vehicles as battering rams has become a go-to play in high-value thefts. In one recent case, thieves backed a stolen SUV into an Orangevale gun shop and made off with dozens of firearms, according to CBS Sacramento. Placer County authorities are asking anyone with tips or surveillance video to contact the sheriff’s office as detectives continue to dig into what happened at the North Auburn CVS.
