Story by Perry Smith; photos, video by Austin Dave
A burglary suspect apparently seeking a little privacy in someone else’s business ended up getting arrested Friday night in Newhall.
A 22-year-old man walked into the Love Boutique on Railroad Avenue sometime before 9 p.m. Friday night. He grabbed several adult magazines from the shelves and went into the store’s restroom, according to Sheriff Station’s arrest report.
The employee notified the patron that he was not allowed to do that, and the man who had locked himself into the restroom, yelled at the employee.
The employee, who became concerned because the patron also appeared to be intoxicated, left the store, which wasn’t scheduled to close until 11 p.m., locked the store with the customer still in the restroom, and proceeded to call the Sheriff’s Station.
The customer, at some point around 9 p.m., realized he’d been locked in the store, and smashed the glass storefront in order to get out — an exit that left adult-themed merchandise splashed across the sidewalk and street on Railroad Avenue.
The suspect ran to the nearby Santa Clara River wash, where a helicopter unit from the Sheriff’s Department spotted him. Deputies made the arrest around 9:10 p.m., according to the Sheriff’s Department’s arrest logs.
The suspect is currently in custody at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.
