Transient breaks into store, eats ice cream display

SANTA PAULA — A homeless man who broke into a cell phone store and apparently ate two artificial ice cream display pieces was arrested early Saturday morning by police officers surrounding the building.

Israel Sanchez, a 24-year-old transient, was discovered inside Luci-Tel, a local cell phone store, following police response to the store’s alarm system at 1 a.m.

Santa Paula police officers spotted the store’s ceiling tiles littering the floor of the commercial space when they arrived. Believing the suspect still inside the premises, backup units were summoned. Minutes later, a backpack was discovered on the building roof beside a vent that had been removed. Officers on the roof looked through the vent duct and observed Sanchez inside the store beneath them.

When officers surrounded the building and Sanchez saw his options becoming increasingly limited, he surrendered to arrest without further incident. He did, however, offer to pay for the two artificial ice cream display pieces he had removed from the storefront window and eaten.

Sanchez was booked on charges of commercial burglary and possession of burglary tools.