Robbery Suspect Rescued After Getting Trapped in Store Walls

California police officers managed to rescue a robbery suspect on Sunday morning after a failed break-in left him stuck inside the walls of a store for nearly 10 hours.

According to the Salinas Police Department, the suspect, identified as Isaac Valencia, was later taken into custody.

Local news outlet KSBW reported that the 29-year-old might have fallen around 22 feet from the roof of a nearby theater around 9 PM the previous night.

Authorities only became aware of the situation when an officer inside a coffee shop heard faint cries for help.

As video footage from the Salinas Fire Department shows, firefighters had to break through a wall to reach him.

The incident unfolded as officers were finishing their night shift with a stop at Brusey Coffee Company for coffee. While they were inside, one officer heard what sounded like cries for help coming from somewhere close by.

Initially, it was tough for police to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from. Employees mentioned they had heard similar noises before, but this time, they suddenly ceased.

Upon investigating outside, officers found evidence suggesting that someone was indeed making noise from within the wall that separated the coffee shop from the adjacent theater.

The Salinas Fire Department arrived and started to cut through several parts of the building to locate Valencia.

During their first try, firefighters hit a layer of concrete blocks and cement, which made access difficult. Eventually, they had to shift to an outer wall where they successfully cut a large opening to free him.

After a medical evaluation on the scene, Valencia was booked into Monterey County Jail on suspicion of robbery, with bail set at $10,000.

The entire rescue effort took around two and a half hours.

Police commended the officers for their determination to investigate what initially seemed like a minor issue. “Most people would likely brush it off as just noises, but our officers kept looking into it, even checking nearby offices,” the SPD stated.