Burglaries, robberies, assaults and petty crime happen every day in our county from San Ysidro to San Onofre. Here are some of the most bizarre, brazen and brutal incidents of small-time crime that have been caught on camera this year.
The reaction from the woman behind the camera recording this wild road rage incident on State Route 78 speaks for itself.
Surveillance images helped police arrest a man and a woman who entered an East Village business wearing disguises and shot the owner. The man, the suspected gunman, was wearing a mask resembling an older woman and his accomplice wore what appeared to be a long purple hair wig.
This story highlights just how unabashed some criminals can be, as well as how complete strangers can help us in a time of need. Alfredo Medina had $800 worth of tools stolen from him at a job site. Then an NBC 7 viewer gave him an envelope of cash so he could buy back what was stolen.
This armed robbery at an Emerald Hills gas station lasted all but 20 seconds, but likely scarred the clerk for a lifetime. As the masked robber pressed her gun against the clerk's head, she rifled through the cash register and took an undisclosed amount of money. Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
These thieves threw boulders through the front window of a dirt bike shop in El Cajon and made off with two trail motorcycles worth more than $13,000 each. But as NBC 7's Ashley Matthews reports, anti-theft technology built into the top-of-the-line bikes might keep them from ever starting up.
This Escondido jewelry store robbery was like a scene out of a movie. As it turns out, the group's inquiries about a few fine jewelry pieces were for the sole purpose of distracting the employee so a woman could duck and scoot undetected on her way to the back room and empty out the store's safe.
It took a team of thieves about 80 seconds to park, jack up a 2005 Toyota Camry, slice off its catalytic convert and drive away. Most converters contain valuable metals like platinum and gold, making them a target for anyone looking to make a couple hundred bucks illegitimately. This is a crime that can truly happen to anyone.
The motivation behind this attack in North Park was unclear, but impatience may have had something to do with it. A woman was using a Redbox movie rental machine when a man in line behind her suddenly knocked her to the ground and proceeded using the machine.
A woman who appeared to be wearing a wig snuck into an Allied Gardens backyard and stole three kittens. When she went back out front, a getaway driver was waiting for her at the curb.
