Burglary Suspect Captured After Falling Through Central Fresno Garage Roof

Fresno Police responded to a burglary-in-progress at a detached garage on Calaveras Street near Belmont Avenue around 5 p.m. Monday and immediately arrested a woman at the scene, police said. Officers soon learned a second person remained barricaded inside the garage.

As officers surrounded the garage, the male suspect punched through the garage roof and fled, climbing onto a neighboring house, removing a swamp cooler and forcing his way into that home’s attic, Fresno Police reported. While officers attempted to remove him from the attic, the man began throwing debris at officers and at a K9 officer deployed to the scene.

The suspect’s flight ended when he fell through the neighbor’s roof; the fall and subsequent arrest were captured on camera, Fresno Police said. Officers quickly detained the man after the fall. He was arrested and taken to a hospital for injuries sustained in the fall and from the K9’s bite. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Fresno Fire Department assisted Fresno Police in the multi-agency response.

Police described the sequence of events beginning with the garage call and the immediate arrest of the woman, but have not released the identities, ages or charges for either the male or female suspects. Authorities also have not released a detailed account of any property taken from the detached garage. Some reports referred to the incident as occurring Monday night, but the most specific time provided by Fresno Police was around 5 p.m. Monday.

The incident produced video footage showing the attic fall and capture; Fresno Police have not indicated whether they will release the full footage publicly. Hospital and booking records confirming the suspect’s current condition and any charges were not released as of the latest police notification, and investigators have not yet provided a timetable for when names or charges will be available.

Fresno has seen similar cases in past years where suspects hid in ceilings or attics. In a separate 2022 case, 28-year-old Pheng Vang fell through a Save Mart ceiling in northeast Fresno and was arrested after a multiday standoff. In another incident, a 17-year-old burglar was found injured inside the roof at S&S Clothing in southeast Fresno, cut on metal and later taken to juvenile hall. Those events underscore a recurring enforcement challenge for Fresno Police when suspects seek concealment in crawl spaces and attics.

Investigators with Fresno Police continue to process the Calaveras Street scene and have indicated more details will be released when booking and reporting are complete.