Burglar at Vintage Oaks Store Scared Off by Guard

A prowler on the hunt for cash broke into a men’s clothing store at Vintage Oaks shopping center early Thursday and damaged cash registers before being discovered and scared off by a security guard, sources said.

Novato police received a call at 2:53 a.m. that the Men’s Wearhouse had been broken into and the alarm was sounding, police Lt. Keith Heiden said. Someone smashed a door, gained entry to the store and tried to break into the cash registers, he said.

Carla Mayo, manager of the Men’s Wearhouse, said a security guard from Universal Protection Services who heard the alarm witnessed the suspect through the glass storefront, prompting the suspect to dash out the back door. By the time the guard reached the back of the store, the prowler was gone, she said.

Mayo said the suspect was unsuccessful in leaving with cash and that store staff was inspecting inventory to see if any apparel was taken.

“It looks like he was more into getting the money,” she said. “It’s good that someone is at the shopping center (at that hour) and able to hear an alarm like that.”

Heiden said K9 unit officer Mike Braun and his dog, Ingo, tracked the suspect’s path and followed it to the edge of Highway 101, which runs on the west edge of Vintage Oaks. The suspect was not found and the scent stopped at the freeway embankment, Heiden said.

“That could indicate that he got into a vehicle, either his own or he had somebody waiting, but we are continuing our investigation,” Heiden said.