It’s late at night. Your vehicle runs out of gas and you pull to the side of the road. Some helpful officers take you to your home to get a gas can, but meanwhile your disabled vehicle has its side window smashed in and three burglars begin rummaging through your belongings.
That’s what Citrus Heights police said happened to a 72-year-old man this week near the intersection of Garfield and Verner Avenue.
In postings on the department’s social media pages on Tuesday, police said officers assisting the man noticed his vehicle on the side of the road “actively being burglarized” and found two women and a man inside looking for property.
The trio were all probationers and had several shaved keys, two of which fit the vehicle’s ignition. Lt. Jason Russo identified the suspects as Cale Weber, Caitlin Gifford, and Jonathen Flatt — all of whom were charged with felony burglary and attempted vehicle theft, according to online inmate records.
A summary of the incident and an image of the victim in a “thumbs up” pose with three officers at the scene was posted to the department’s Facebook page on Tuesday, quickly gaining nearly 200 likes and comments praising the police department.