4 teens arrested for burglary at shoe store at Fashion Fair Mall, police say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Four teens are under arrest after stealing a car and using it to smash into a clothing store to steal thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.

Surveillance footage was captured just before 3 am Friday at the Shiekhs store at Fashion Fair Mall.

The video shows four teens between the ages of 15 and 17 using the stolen car to push the store's doors open, run in, and grab an arms full of clothing.

Within seconds they run in a second time and grab even more.

Store employees estimate at least 10 thousand dollars worth of merchandise was stolen.

"Officers were able to give a description of the suspect vehicle with the assistance of security at Fashion Fair and broadcast that suspect information which was a grey Kia," says Fresno Police Sgt. Diana Trueba Vega.

Minutes later Sheriff's Deputies saw a car matching the description and tried to pull the suspects over on Fresno St and Shields, but they didn't stop. The driver then led deputies on a pursuit, at one point, a person in the car even sprayed a fire extinguisher out of the window toward a patrol car.

The chase ended blocks away on Santa Ana Avenue when the four got out and took off running, leaving the car full of the stolen goods behind.

Several agencies quickly created a perimeter in the nearby neighborhood and managed to take all four suspects into custody.

"While they might've thought that they were organized. They were definitely no match for our officers," says Sgt. Vega.

The crime spree didn't begin at the mall.

An ABC30 insider recognized their stolen vehicle and shared footage of the same four suspects making off with the car used in the smash-and-grab.

The thieves stole the car from the Villas Del Norte Apartments off Ashlan and Hughes.

"Since last year, we saw a trend of some Kia vehicles that had susceptibility for being stolen," says Sgt. Vega.

As the owner of the car deals with that damage, the store is also picking up the pieces.

Employees say they've seen at least three break-ins in the last year alone.

This time was different though, as all of the stolen clothes were returned to the store.

We spoke with an employee who didn't want us to share her identity.

She says the business keeps its outside doors locked at all times because of how frequent the break-ins are.

"This is like the worst it's ever been. Running the car through the doors is pretty intense, but luckily, we got all the stuff back," says Shiekh Shoes Employee.

The four remain in custody and are facing several charges including burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, and conspiracy to commit a felony.

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