2 burglars arrested by Westminster police in smash-and-grab spree; 1 suspect at large

WESTMINSTER, Calif. (KABC) -- Two of three suspects involved in a series of overnight smash-and-grab burglaries were caught by police Friday while attempting to force their way into a Sprint store in Westminster.

Franz Zoeller witnessed at least three people burglarizing a jewelry store in the 4600 block of Los Coyotes Diagonal in Long Beach at about 2:20 a.m. The suspects smashed their red pickup truck into the jewelry store and stole several pieces of jewelry.

The thieves then struck a GameStop in the 400 block of W. Anaheim Street in Long Beach at about 3:27 a.m. They attempted to crash their pickup truck into the store but were unsuccessful due to the retailer's metal doors.

At about 4:30 a.m., the suspects struck a Sprint store in the 6700 block of Westminster Boulevard in Westminster. Tony Graham, a security guard at a nearby fireworks stand, saw the whole crime unravel and called 911.

"They shattered the glass of the door and crawled in under the bar. A few minutes later, [they] came out with boxes of phones," Graham said.

Westminster police arrived on scene within 90 seconds and "saw multiple suspects going through a broken window of the Sprint store," Westminster police Cmdr. Cameron Knauerhaze said.

The suspects tried to escape by driving down a ramp, but crashed into a pole and then fled on foot. Two suspects were immediately caught after a brief foot chase.

A third suspect fled into the neighborhood area off Rondeau Street and remains outstanding. He was described as a black male wearing black clothing.

Westminster police recovered about $25,000 worth of merchandise. Anyone with further information regarding the smash-and-grab burglaries was asked to call the Westminster Police Department at (714) 898-3315.

City News Service contributed to this report.