Fresno car detail shop loses more than $30,000 in products after burglary

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Saturday, January 4, 2020
Fresno car detail shops loses more than $30,000 in products after robbery
Gonzalez took video after her store alarm was tripped that showed deputies collecting evidence among the car care products that dropped as thieves tried to get away.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Just days after their store was ransacked and burglarized, the team at Detail Garage Fresno is restocking shelves with the limited supply they have left.

"It was gut-wrenching," says Liliana Gonzales, a franchisee. "My stomach was upside down. You don't even know how to react to all of it. It was happening so fast."

Gonzalez took video after her store alarm was tripped, which showed deputies collecting evidence among the car care products that dropped as thieves tried to escape.

Detail Garage Fresno is one of a few authorized distributors of "chemical guys" detail products.

"If you see someone selling this out of the back of a van or back of a truck on Instagram, Facebook or any type of social media, just don't buy it," Gonzalez said. "It's probably stolen, and it probably came from our shelves."

The thieves made multiple trips to empty shelves and a clearance table filled with products, totaling upwards of $30,000. That's not including the computer they swiped and the cost of repairs.

However, Gonzalez says that number doesn't compare to what they could've lost.

"It happened at 11:30 at night, not 11:30 in the day, so our staff was home and safe," Gonzalez said.

They can't release the video captured by store security cameras, but according to Fresno County sheriff's investigators, the video is advancing the investigation, showing at least three men in hoodies drive up in what they say appears to be a white Chevy pickup.

The store has insurance, which will help them recover some of the loss, but they're hoping justice is served.

Investigators say you can help by being a responsible shopper.

"Anytime someone offers you something at a price that's way too good to be true, there's probably a story behind it," says Tony Botti of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. "Often times, an illegal story."

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