Crime Watch: Employee Tackles Suspect in Attempted Burglary

Restaurant Employee Tackles Suspect in Attempted Burglary

At 8:25 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, two men tried to rob a restaurant in the 100 block of Sunrise Avenue.  They walked through an open back door into the kitchen, pointed what appeared to be handguns at employees, and demanded cash. An employee, fearing for his life, tackled one of the suspects and struggled with him for the gun, according to Roseville Police. The gun didn't fire and might have been a fake.  Both suspects fled.

They were described as two white males in their 20s. One was 6'1" and 180 pounds, with short brown hair in a buzz-cut, blue-eyes, and a pale complexion, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. He may have bruises on his face from his fight with the employee. The other suspect was shorter, with a thin build, wearing a black baseball cap and a black hooded sweatshirt. They may have been driving a tan Ford Escape or another a small SUV.

Woman Attacked by Two Males

At 11:15 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, an employee of a fast food restaurant in the 900 block of Douglas Boulevard went out the back door of the restaurant to take out the trash, and encountered two men hiding.  One of them grabbed at her.  She yelled and fought him off, and both men ran into the restaurant and then out again without taking anything.

They were both white males in their 30s of medium height and weight.  One had pale, freckled skin and wore a white baseball cap and gloves.  The other had a long, skinny face and wore a red sweatshirt and shorts.  No weapons were seen.  They ran across Douglas Boulevard toward Nevada Street, and were seen leaving the area in a tan Ford SUV. It's unknown at this time what their intentions were.

Lottery Con-Artists Get Victim to Give $4K

At about 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 3, a Citrus Heights resident was walking on Sunrise Avenue just south of Cirby Way when an unknown couple struck up a conversation with her, won her trust, and eventually talked her into helping them claim their lottery ticket winnings.  They told her that if she helped them come up with a "deposit" on their lottery winnings, they would share the prize with her.  The victim withdrew $4,000 from her bank and gave it to the unknown couple, and they left with her money. 

The con-artists appeared Hispanic and spoke Spanish.  The female suspect was in her 40s, about 5'2" tall with a thin build, light-complexioned, wearing a beanie cap, gray zip-up sweater over a black t-shirt and gray jeans. The male suspect was described as in his 60s, 5'10 with a heavy build, dark complexion, and salt-and-pepper hair and mustache.  He wore a blue coat over a blue button-up shirt and gray slacks.  Their vehicle was a clean late-model gray American-made four-door sedan with a black leather interior.

Mailbox Theft, Two Arrests

Between Jan. 24 and Feb. 1, someone stole mail from a mailbox in the 100 block of Duncan Way. A citizen found the victim's mail on the ground at Cresthaven Park, with some paperwork missing.  On Monday morning, Feb. 7, an officer stopped a local man walking on Vernon Street, and conducted a probation search. The man had some of the victim's stolen property. The investigation led to the arrests of the 35-year-old Roseville man on suspicion of possessing stolen property, and a 21-year-old Roseville woman on suspicion of possessing stolen property and credit card fraud.

A tip from Roseville Police: Don't leave outgoing mail in the mailbox for a long period of time, and have the post office hold your mail if you're going to be away.

Gas Siphoning, Suspects Seen 

At 1:24 a.m. on Feb. 3, officers responded to a hotel in the 1000 block of Lead Hill, to a citizen's report of someone siphoning gas. The suspects, two tall white males in their 20s, fled the area before officers arrived. The suspects drove away in a white 2001 Mercury 4-door sedan, leaving a gas can behind.

Vandalism at HC Elliot Park

Around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, someone painted graffiti inside bathrooms at HC Elliot Park on Cushendall Drive. A possible suspect vehicle, a large white pickup, was seen near the park at the time of the vandalism.

Duo Arrested with Burglar Tools

At 1:41 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, a patrol officer stopped two men dressed all in black on foot near Sunrise Avenue and Coloma Way, carrying backpacks with tools.  The officer arrested the two, a 20-year-old from Sacramento and a 21-year-old from Roseville, on suspicion of giving false names and possessing burglar's tools.

Residential Burglaries:

Monday, Jan. 30

Between Jan. 30 and the afternoon of Feb. 1, someone broke into a vacant house on Spurlock Court, possibly staying there. Copper wire was stripped from the stove. A suspicious vehicle, a white SUV occupied by two white teenagers (a male and a female) was seen parked in the driveway of the vacant home on the morning of Feb. 1.

Vehicle-Related Crime:

Between 9:30 p.m. Feb. 2 and 10:30 a.m. Feb. 3, someone broke into a locked pickup parked in the 7500 block of Greenburn Drive, rifled through the glove compartment and tampered with the ignition and steering column.

Between 11 p.m. Feb. 2 and 8 a.m. Feb. 3, someone entered a vehicle parked in a driveway in the 2100 block of Demetrius Way, rummaged through the glove box and took the garage door opener, paperwork and other small items.  The vehicle might have been left unlocked.

A tip from Roseville Police: The safest place to park your car at home is your locked garage.  If that isn't possible, be sure to lock your car and remove all valuables at night, including your garage remote.

At 7:15 a.m. Feb. 3, a resident of Banbury Circle left her blue 2004 Toyota Avalon 4-door sedan running, unlocked, inside her open garage. When she returned to the garage, it had been stolen, along with her purse she'd left inside the vehicle. The car hasn't been located yet.

Between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Feb. 3, someone smashed the window of a pickup parked in the 200 block of Ardmore Avenue and took the installed stereo system, clothing, an iPod and tools.

Between 5:30 p.m. Feb. 3 and 8:30 a.m. Feb. 4, someone broke windows of an SUV parked in the 2200 block of North Cirby Way.

Between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Feb. 4, someone stole a Honda Accord from an apartment complex lot at 8800 Sierra College Blvd.  The vehicle was located, unoccupied and undamaged, later the same day by North Sacramento CHP.

At 2:10 a.m. on Feb. 5, a resident of the 600 block of Atkinson Street heard a car alarm, looked out and saw that someone had smashed a car window. The suspect rifled through the glove box and took loose change. The suspect's vehicle was a white late-90s model Nissan Altima four-door sedan occupied by a white male and a white female.  Officers weren't able to locate the suspects.

At 10:15 p.m. on Feb. 5, a citizen witness heard a vehicle alarm and reported that someone had just stolen a Ford Mustang from a driveway in the 1400 block of Deerfield. Officers searched the area with the help of CHP's helicopter.  The car was found abandoned in the 1400 block of Kingswood Drive. Officers located the suspect, a 29-year-old Roseville resident, in a nearby neighborhood and arrested him on suspicion of auto theft.  Thanks to the citizen witness for calling police immediately to report the crime.