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Mini-storage burglars fight owner to get away
Ceres Cop Car

Ceres Police are attempting to identify two men who burglarized units at the Ceres Self Storage, 2105 Fairview Drive, and physically fought the facility owner to escape once they were discovered.

The theft took place at 5:27 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17 after the owner had opened several side gates in anticipation of a delivery. Ceres Police Department spokesman Lt. Chris Perry said the suspects, described as two Hispanic men, rolled into the facility inside an older white pickup. It's believed they burglarized one unit undetected by cutting the lock.

The facility owner discovered the two as they were attempting to access a second unit that was and containing tools which belonged to the mini-storage owner. When he confronted the pair, a physical fight broke out between him and one of the suspects. They jumped in the pickup, said Lt. Perry, and attempted to leave when the owner grabbed onto the passenger door and yelled for the driver to stop. The driver stopped momentarily as the owner went to the front of the truck to view the license plate number. The driver than made a quick U-turn, at which time the owner reached into the bed of the pickup to grab a child's car seat which had been stolen from the first unit. One of the suspects got out and struggled to steal back the car seat. The suspect was hit a couple of times with the car seat until he retreated and got back into the pickup to flee.

Surveillance video captured the incident. Police investigators are working to identify the suspects, said Lt. Perry. If apprehended the pair face burglary charges.