Thief outstanding after driving stolen truck through Citrus Heights JCPenney, taking jewelry
CITRUS HEIGHTS – The search is on for a burglary suspect who plowed their car through the Sunrise Mall JCPenney's and took off with jewelry.
Citrus Heights police said it happened at around 7:45 a.m. Sunday. The mall wasn't open yet and no one was injured.
Police said a burglar drove a black Chevy Silverado, stolen from the Roseville Auto Mall, right through one set of JCPenney's doors and then drove out the other set of glass doors, only after the suspect stole a stash of jewelry.
"This mall is not what frequented as much as it used to be, so it's sad that someone would come and do that," said Janet Byrd who was shopping at the mall Sunday evening.
The thief got away after the brazen act, targeting a mall that had little left to steal.
Now one of its only two department stores is at the center of a crime.
"At this point, every time I come here, I always wonder if is this going to be the last time I come to this mall because it seems so close to closing down," said Emily Byrd who was shopping on Sunday evening at the mall.
"When shopping traffic drops to very low levels for an extended period of time, the criminal element sees an opportunity to do bad acts when the likelihood of getting caught is lower, so that activity grows. This is where we are with Sunrise Mall," Citrus Heights City Councilmember Tim Shaeffer said in a statement.
"There's very little security," said Richard Busman who walks around the mall frequently. "The grounds are not maintained well at all."
Sunrise Mall has been on the city's radar for revitalization for years. The city council is planning a trip in April to Belmar Mall in Lakewood, Colorado to learn about the 20-year transformation of the struggling villa Italian mall turned into a thriving mixed-use residential and retail space. City Council also has a proposal on its agenda about the Sunrise Mall revitalization next month.
"I remember when this mall and other malls used to be more alive and thriving with people and I would love to see that return," said Emily.
Holiday shopping and photos with Santa are bringing in more people this time of year, but the mess left behind from a brazen burglary and now boarded-up walls is just another blow to the rundown Sunrise Mall.
Citrus Heights police said it does have surveillance video showing the stolen Black Chevy plowing into the JCPenney, but it does not want to make it public at this point in the investigation.
Police found that car abandoned a little south of the city, but the search is still on for the suspect who was driving it.
JCPenney's has a sign on its window that says it will be shut down for two days.
