AUBURN, Calif. — A Placer County man who tried to make off with power tools from a Home Depot store in Auburn was arrested after his getaway car wouldn’t start, the sheriff’s office said.
According to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, 33-year-old Michael Guillermo Mendoza allegedly loaded up a shopping cart with more than $1,100 worth of DeWalt and Milwaukee power tools and ran from the Home Depot on Willow Creek Drive on Dec. 9.
But investigators say when Mendoza got the tools in his car and tried to drive off, his car would not start. Soon, investigators say, several Home Depot employees and witnesses ran to the car and tried to pull Mendoza out, demanding he return the stolen items. At this point, investigators say Mendoza threw some of the items out of the car through the sunroof and one of the witnesses was able to get some of the items out of the back of the car.
Mendoza reportedly tried to get a stranger’s help to jumpstart his car then tried to hitch a ride with another stranger before finally running off. Sheriff’s K9 “Ronin” tracked Mendoza down at a Starbucks nearby, investigators said.
Mendoza was arrested and booked on complaints of burglary, grand theft, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Investigators said he also had outstanding warrants from Nevada County and was on probation in Nevada County for being under the influence of a controlled substance.
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