$15,000 in items stolen from electronics store in Clovis, police searching for suspect

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Plywood now replaces the broken glass door at this Clovis U-Tech shop after an ax-wielding man broke in and stole more than $15k worth of iPhones and other electronics in the early morning hours of April 1 -- but this was no April Fools joke

"Unfortunately, we had somebody coming in thinking they were Santa Claus with a big duffel bag gathering a bunch of phones at one in the morning," says Co-Owner George Deleija.

Investigators are now examining security footage from inside the store that shows the man squeeze his way through the door after breaking the glass -- and without hesitation, makes a beeline for the display cabinet where the most valuable items are stored.

He quickly fills his bag with the loot after busting the glass and within a matter of seconds, he's gone again but at the last minute, realizes he left his ax behind.

After retrieving his break-in tool, he leaves.

Officers showed up moments later but it was too late -- the suspect remains on the loose.

"If someone recognizes him from the video, that would help us out greatly," says Dave Roseno with the Clovis Police Department. "But based on the quality of the video and location of the cameras, seeing his face or facial features and covering his face is causing us a little bit of difficulty in identifying who the suspect is."

U-Tech is an electronics service center with multiple locations in the Valley.

Deleija doesn't recognize the man with the ax but suspects he was familiar with the store's layout.

"He probably thought Clovis PD was going to show up in 30 seconds flat," he said. "He knew exactly what he wanted. I wouldn't be surprised if he was here before."