Police: Sunrise Mall hit a second time with major burglary

By Sara Beth Williams–
Citrus Heights Police say an unknown male suspect drove a pickup truck through the bottom floor of JCPenney Sunday morning.

Citrus Heights Police officers were dispatched to the JCPenney store at Sunrise Mall early Sunday morning after reports of a burglary and discovered that someone had driven through the exterior entrance of the store and to the jewelry section. The suspect stole an “unknown amount” of jewelry, and then fled the scene in the vehicle, exiting through another entrance of the store. Police were not able to locate any suspects when they arrived.

In a press release Sunday night, Citrus Heights Police said the vehicle used for the burglary was a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck which had been stolen from the Roseville Auto Mall prior to the burglary Sunday morning. Officers were able to locate the vehicle outside the city limits and it is being processed by Crime Scene Investigators.

Photos on social media show exterior store entrances and parking lots to JCPenney behind Sunrise Mall taped off with yellow caution tape. Employees were reportedly inside the store at the time. No injuries were reported according to the news release.

Signs posted on the door of the store Sunday night say the store will be closed for three to five days.

Police have only described the suspect as an “unknown male.”

Many residents and community members expressed shock and anger on social media and also shared concern for employees and the future of the store itself. JCPenney remains one of only two major anchor stores left in the half-vacant Sunrise Mall.

JCPenney was also hit with another jewelry heist less than a month ago, where police officers were able to recover at least $91,000 in stolen jewelry when they apprehended the suspect who had fled the scene on foot.

In August, another burglar crashed a vehicle through the entrance of a smoke shop in Citrus Heights in the shopping center at the corner of Auburn Boulevard and Greenback Lane.

The owner of the smoke shop told The Sentinel that the crash happened around 5 a.m. and that whoever crashed into the store also stole store merchandise. He estimated the damage to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. The vehicle involved had been reported stolen, according to KCRA.

The investigation into the most recent crash and subsequent burglary at JCPenney is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Citrus Heights Police Department Crime Tip Line at (916) 727-5524. Anyone who would like to remain anonymous, please call the Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers tip hotline at (916) 443-HELP. Anonymous information leading to the arrest of the suspect is eligible for a cash reward.