Man suspected of trying to break into business closed to slow coronavirus, police say
Police arrested a man on suspicion of burglary after he was found on the roof of a Roseville eyeglasses store that closed to comply with a Placer County order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
Roseville has declared a state of emergency in response to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Sacramento region. And Placer County has issued a shelter-in-place directive, telling residents to stay home as much as possible and non-essential businesses to close their doors to slow the coronavirus spread.
On Sunday, the Roseville Police Department received a report that someone was trying to break into an eyeglasses store in the 5000 block of Foothills Boulevard. The caller told police that the suspected burglar was trying to get into the business through its roof.
Police officials said the business had closed in compliance with the shelter-in-place directive. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a similar order statewide, telling all non-essential businesses to close.
The Police Department deployed its Unmanned Aerial System team to use a drone with a camera to see if anyone was on the closed store’s roof, police officials announced Monday afternoon in a Facebook post.
Officers spotted a suspect on the roof. He was later identified as Nicholas Chaves of Roseville.
Police officials said Chaves was trying to use a large cinder block to break into the business. The officers surrounded the building and took Chaves into custody a short time later. Chaves, 31, was arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Officials said Sunday’s arrest was “a great reminder, if you see something, or hear something suspicious, call the Police Department.”
