Store clerk attacked by thieves, dragged by getaway car, say Placer County deputies
Placer County Sheriff’s detectives are looking for three suspects involved in a violent attack on a Foresthill store employee who was trying to stop them from stealing alcohol.
The incident occurred about 6:30 p.m. Monday, when a male and female walked into Worton’s Market along Foresthill Road.
A store security camera captured the theft, as the male suspect tucked two bottles of alcohol under the back of his hooded-sweatshirt. Meanwhile, the female followed him out of the store.
Sheriff’s officials posted the video on Facebook and Twitter Thursday afternoon, but they removed the footage soon after.
Detectives had received new information and were worried releasing the video might harm the investigation, said Angela Musallam of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. She said the video was taken down because the female appeared to be a minor.
The male in the video appeared to have curly brown hair and was wearing black pants and white sneakers. The female with dark hair was wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and black pants.
The store employee chased the male, according to sheriff’s officials. Another security camera captured the chase through the store’s parking lot to a car across the street. A third suspect had been waiting in the driver’s seat of that car.
Employee attacked
Sheriff’s officials said all three suspects attacked the store employee, punching and kicking him in the head. The suspects then jumped in the getaway car, before the store employee reached through the opened driver’s side window and got the driver in a headlock.
The getaway car began to pull away at about 35 mph, as the store employee was still hanging onto the driver, according to sheriff’s officials. The store employee yelled at the driver to slow down, which he did. The store employee then let go of the driver’s head.
Paramedics, who were in the store parking lot, helped the injured store employee, who suffered minor injuries, sheriff’s officials said.
Musallam said Friday that detectives were asking for help in identifying the three suspects. Sheriff’s officials described the getaway driver as an “albino” male with blonde hair in a buzz-cut. The getaway car appeared to be a white or silver four-door sedan.
