Rooftop to tree to jail. What was Merced man up to in Modesto?
A man faces felony vandalism charges after tampering with a rooftop air-conditioning unit, escaping via tree, being tracked by a drone and captured nearby, Modesto police reported.
About 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, police received a call that there were people on the roof of the Paul’s Liquor store, which shares a building with a few other businesses on the 400 block of Coffee Road, just north of Scenic Drive.
Responding officers reporting seeing two people, Lt. Chris Adams said. An unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, with a camera mounted on it was deployed. “As we were making contact, he ended up jumping off the roof and into a tree and then fled on foot,” Adams said. “We followed him with the UAV” as the suspect fled through a couple of neighboring residential properties, and he eventually was taken into custody without incident.
The subject, Jorge Aguilera, 26, who told officers he lives in Merced, was treated for a cut to his arm from jumping into the tree, Adams said.
No second subject was located. Officers found that wires to the AC unit had been cut and enough damage had been done to rise to felony vandalism, the lieutenant said. They could not immediately tell if anything had been taken.
Though Aguilera’s motive is undetermined, Adams said, he likely was trying to steal copper tubing to then sell it. Metal theft continues to be a common crime, he said, and four to five years ago especially, AC units were popular targets.
Police will be looking for surveillance camera images from the area to help determine what Aguilera and a possible accomplice were doing.
“We always recommend surveillance cameras around businesses,” Adams said. “It let’s us know what people are up to. Businesses (and residents) can always register the cameras with us, so when there’s crime in an area, we know we have those to review.”
To register a camera with the Police Department, go to camportal.modestogov.com.
