Video Captures Store Employee's Attempt To Thwart Getaway Of Suspected Thief
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — Dramatic video captured a cellphone store employee's attempt to thwart the getaway of a man he says made off with a phone in Santa Ana.
The incident happened two weeks ago at a busy strip mall located at the intersection of Bristol Street and MacArthur Boulevard.
"I was trying to pull him out. I just wanted to get him out of the car before he got away," said Romero Ledesma, the store employee.
Seconds before Ledesma ran after a suspected thief who he said was posing as a customer, he says he had a bad feeling when the suspect walked into Cellspot, a cellphone repair store, in Santa Ana.
"I thought something was a little up, but I have to help him out," he said.
Security cameras captured images of the suspect appearing to shop and asking for phones Ledesma says he didn't carry.
As the man looked at a used LG Nexus 4, he started to stretch, according to the footage. That's when police say he grabbed the phone and ran for the car where a driver was waiting.
But Ledesma was right behind.
"He tried to open the door but he wasn't able to because I grabbed him, then he decided to jump through the door," he said.
As the driver slammed into an SUV, Ledesma wouldn't let go. The driver pinned Ledesma between his car and another vehicle before getting away, according to KCAL9's Stacey Butler.
"They pre-planned this. It appears they done this before," Cpl Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department said. "We're asking the public to help us identify them."
The suspect was described by police as a white male with a thin build. He's believed to be between 20 to 25 years old. He is between 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-11 and has long, shoulder-length hair, a light complexion and blue-orange sneakers. He was last seen wearing a black jacket.
Although the phone was worth $200, police say the suspect could be facing charges of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and hit-and-run.
