Thieves crash truck into mall store

Four smash-and-grab thieves crashed a red pickup truck backward through the front entrance of a J.C. Penney store at the Southwest Plaza mall in unincorporated Littleton early Thursday, looted the store and then fled in a pickup truck, authorities say.

A witness watched as the Chevrolet backed up into the glass doors of the store, smashing through the entrance at 5:45 a.m., said Mark Techmeyer, spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Four men jumped out of the pickup and ran into the store. Shortly after, the suspects dashed out of the store loaded down with merchandise, Techmeyer said.

Deputies are trying to get surveillance video of the theft in an effort to identify the suspects, Techmeyer said.

Later Thursday morning, the suspects, apparently unintentionally, crashed into a pole in a Lakewood apartment complex, Techmeyer said.

“They all bailed (out of the truck) and ran,” said Techmeyer, referring to the four suspects. “They all got away.”

The truck, which had broken glass in the bed, was stolen in Denver, Techmeyer said. Police were to tow the truck to Jefferson County’s crime lab and search for fingerprints and DNA, he added.

During the past two years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of smash-and-grab burglaries in the Denver metro area, he said.

Thieves often steal SUVs or pickups and use them to crash through entrances of gun, liquor and convenience stores, then steal what they can in a few minutes and speed away before police arrive.

“This is the first one that I’m aware of with a big anchor store at a mall being hit,” Techmeyer said.