From Stan Oklobdzija:

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies evacuated the Southgate Plaza shopping center Wednesday afternoon after an armed shoplifting suspect, escaped custody of a store employee and climbed onto the roof.

After the roof was found to be clear, the search was shifted to individual stores, which include a Wal-Mart, an Office Max and a Home Town Buffet. The search was continuing into the evening.

Two other suspects, who also initially escaped, were caught by deputies. They are not being named by authorities.

The incident began about 4:15 p.m. when the store's personnel called the Sheriff's Department, said Sgt. Tim Curran, department spokesman.

By the time deputies arrived, the suspect had escaped. Because one was reported armed with a handgun, the deputies evacuated the shopping center, established a perimeter and called in the SWAT team, which includes marksmen and other personnel trained in special tactics.

The center was successfully cleared of shoppers and workers, Curran said, and the deputies, assisted by the Sacramento Police Department's SWAT tean.

Some store employees said they were told to leave in a hurry.

"My associate said, 'Get in your car and get out. She said it's three guys with a gun,'" said Yelena Zhuk, who works in the pharmacy at Wal-Mart.

Home Town Buffet general manager Michael Swedon said his restaurant was full when two officers ran into the restaurant and "screamed, 'Get out!"

Staff and customers dropped everything, inclduing dinner plates, and rushed out.

Curran did not identify the suspects, but a woman who identifed herself as a niece of the suspects, said she saw them enter the Ross store.

Denise Williams, said she was coming out of a beauty supply store as the men were going into Ross. She said they chatted briefly.

She said she recognized the suspect's car still in the parking lot, hours after the center was evacuated. The older model gray car had no license plate.

Williams said she lives nearby, but was stranded because officers were not allowing customers or staff to retrieve their vehicles.

She stopped talking to a reporter after another woman, who Williams said was her niece, told her to "stop snitching."

At one point, a sheriff's negotiator with a bullhorn tried to contact the suspect believed to be on the roof.

The huge deployment of officers left traffic in chaos along Florin Road.