Caught on Camera: Fresno burglars may trip up

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The crooks left behind a little trace of themselves despite a fast and efficient burglary at a Central Fresno Market.

"They're just going in, ransacking, taking what they can and leaving," said Fresno police Sgt. Mark Hudson.

The burglars struck a couple weeks ago at the Amigos Market on Olive and Millbrook. It all started on the roof.

Evidence shows the burglars came in through an air vent and made off with about $2000 worth of cash and merchandise.

With nothing but a crowbar and some extra clothes to obscure their faces, these two burglars crashed into the Amigos Market and moved quickly.

"They're going in trying to steal and get away as fast as they can," said Sgt. Hudson.

But they couldn't outrun the cameras and even as they tried to hide, the video catches a good glimpse of one of the two suspects.

The store's owners think it looks like the guys knew how to get around so well, they might be regular customers. From entrance to exit, they were inside only about four minutes. And they knew exactly how to get into the heavily protected store.

"They came in from (the air vent), but I already secured it right now," said owner Fahmi Murshed.

From the roof, the burglars dropped through a hole in the ceiling and into a construction area for a new meat market. They opened the cash register, grabbed cartons of cigarettes and a bunch of lottery tickets. Those could be their undoing.

"We don't know if they're selling them to other people, which might be the case, but then again that does give us a lead to who broke into this market," said Sgt. Hudson.

For now, though, the best lead is the images from surveillance cameras in the store, showing at least one of the burglars caught in the act.

"We think they can be identified as soon as it's put out into the media," Sgt. Hudson said.

The roof isn't too easy to access and it was already 6 a.m. when the burglars showed up two weeks ago, so police are hoping someone might have seen them that morning, in addition to recognizing the face in the video.