SPD Updates Smash-and-Grab Robbery at Walmart

Photo taken by: Mark Truppner

Sonora, CA – While no arrests have been made in Tuesday’s smash-and-grab robbery at the local Walmart, Sonora Police have released new details regarding the theft.

As we reported here earlier, at around 10:20 a.m., three males entered the store in the Crossroads Shopping Center on Sanguinetti Road, wearing masks, and left with two cash drawers and an undisclosed amount of cash. Chief Turu Vanderweil detailed new information to Clarke Broadcasting that the suspects also wore gloves and hoods on their heads, and no guns were seen during the robbery. He added, “The suspects went directly to the customer service counter and used a hammer to smash the cash drawers from their bases…While exiting the store, one of the suspects threatened to strike a patron with a hammer if she did not move out of the way.”

A getaway car, described as a dark-colored Infiniti sedan, was waiting outside and headed north through the parking lot onto Sanguinetti Road. No information on the driver was available.

“Thanks to a citizen tip, the two cash drawers were later recovered on Golf Links Road at Hwy. 108,” noted Chief Vanderweil. “This demonstrates the crucial role our community plays in maintaining law and order.”

All the money inside the discarded drawers had been taken. Chief Vanderweil revealed, “No arrests at this point, but we are hopeful that the leads we are working on may result in suspect identification.” He continued, “There have been similar crimes at Walmarts in the region, but we can’t say for sure yet if they are linked to ours.  Although we have no reason to believe they will hit our store again, Walmart and local law enforcement will remain on high alert.”

On April 2, a similar robbery with three suspects wearing masks, who took three cash register draws occurred at the Walmart store on Wicklow Way in Jackson. There is no further suspect information available at this time.  Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the Sonora Police Department at 209-532-8141.

This is an ongoing investigation. Chief Vanderweil shared, “The community’s vigilance and cooperation are vital in helping us solve this case.”