San Rafael store employees catch burglar on same day as theft

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KGO) -- A burglary suspect is behind bars less than 24 hours after his alleged crime thanks to an employee who spotted him near the business wearing stolen goods.

When police arrested the burglar, not only did he have the stolen gear from a sporting good store called Motopia, he was also riding a stolen bicycle. He busted in with a rock.

Surveillance cameras captured his every move, including trying to steal an electric bicycle worth more than $10,000.

"You could see him on the security footage trying to mess with it," said Motopia owner Justin Rastegar. "Trying to get it going--couldn't figure it out so instead he takes one of our duffle bags, sets it up...empties it out and then goes and goes and loads it with whatever he could get his hands on."

He stole jerseys, leather jackets, and cash.

The next day Amanda Ervin, one of the store's employees, who has only lived there six months, was going to her second job when she spotted a man on a bicycle wearing their stolen gear.

When asked how she knew it was the right man Ervin said, "The alpine star pucks on the jacket. Not to mention he was wearing my boyfriend's shoes that he had special ordered. He stole those."

Ervin stalled the man as others as Rastegar and his brother arrived. There was a scuffle. They pinned the man to the ground until the police showed up.

They say 20-year-old Jose Vasquez was booked on charges of burglary and possessing stolen property.

"It's always good to get bad people off the street who commit crimes," said Lt. Dan Fink of the San Rafael police. "We would just hope the residents don't put themselves in harm's way while doing it."

Most of the stolen goods are now police evidence. The brothers say the only things they've received back so far are a laptop and 'a little justice.'

They also have a new security system.