Would-be burglar became trapped inside secure area of empty store

A man became trapped inside the secure area of a not-yet-opened cellular store in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California after breaking into the establishment on Wednesday.



The incident occurred at a Boost Mobile Store by 20/20 Mobile, where the suspected burglar entered through an air-conditioning duct and triggered an alarm, said Miguel Ceja, an owner of the business. Not yet open to the public, the location was not stocked with merchandise at the time.



The intruder apparently made such a realisation before running through a door that he may have thought was an exit. Instead of ending up outside of the building, however, the man found himself inside an inescapable hallway. When "that door shuts, you're done," Ceja said. "You're not getting out of there."



He said the secure area, complete with reinforced steel doors, was constructed after he and his business partners lost thousands of dollars worth of inventory in previous burglaries at their other stores. The suspected thief desperately tried to escape for about 45 minutes, kicking the doors and even trying to break through one of them by using a hammer and other tools. Yet his efforts proved fruitless, and he was freed only when police arrived at the scene and took him into custody.

With news video.