FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) – Fresno police have arrested a burglary suspect who has been hiding at Save Mart for nearly two days.
After a chase, 20 hours of confrontation and a day of waiting, police finally arrested 28-year-old Feng Wang after he fell from the ceiling of a grocery store on Nais Avenue and First Street.
Police say that after falling, Wang landed in a walkway of the store and tried to escape to a nearby apartment complex.
Guess who feels through the ceiling of Savemart today? Although we may have withdrawn our visible SWAT operation, we left undercover detectives in place. When suspect Pheng Vang began to flee, our MAGEC detectives and northeastern patrol officers rushed to capture him. pic.twitter.com/yodRDX4EBG
– Fresno Police (@FresnoPolice) May 21, 2022
An ABC30 editor was shopping at the store at the time and described it as covered in dirt as he walked through the product section, grabbed an apple and walked out the door.
RELATED: “Still shaking”: ABC30 editor spotted Fresno Save Mart suspect, officials warned
“He walked past me, grabbed an apple, started eating it, and walked out the front door,” ABC30 editor Andrea Gaiton described meeting with suspect Fen Wang at Save Mart today, minutes before he was arrested by Fresno police.
Read more: pic.twitter.com/OHC84q88bO
– ABC30 Fresno (@ ABC30) May 22, 2022
Although police apparently withdrew from the area on Friday, undercover officers were still waiting on the spot and arrested him when he left the store.
Police Chief Paco Balderama posted on Twitter a photo of the suspect, who appeared to be covered in plaster on the ceiling and dust.
Earlier in the day, police said Wang was wanted for burglary by Carruthers and was released on parole after serving a sentence for a previous burglary.
On Thursday night, Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputies spotted him at the River Park Mall near Nees and Blackstone Avenue and tried to stop him.
VIDEO: Drone footage shows officers around Fresno Save Mart
He then led lawmakers on a brief chase to Save Mart and barricaded himself in a grocery store.
Thus began a confrontation that lasted almost a day, with officers surrounding the area and waiting in front of the store. Save Mart and nearby businesses were evacuated, and classes were canceled at a nearby school.
RELATED: Lessons canceled at Kastner Intermediate School in Fresno amid police opposition
On Friday, SWAT employees in Fresno entered the store with their K9s to search the building and nearby businesses, but found none. However, they found evidence that he was in the store.
Later on Friday, police announced that the suspect had fled and that the Save Mart store would reopen soon.
However, police say there are still several undercover officers and marked units located in the area as a precautionary measure.
On Saturday, almost 24 hours after the grocery store and mall were declared safe, Wang fell into the store.
He was detained as soon as he tried to flee to a nearby apartment complex.
He will be charged with concealing a crime and violating parole, in addition to other charges.
Police say they have not found a weapon and currently believe it was not armed.
“A search will be conducted throughout the building. The building is currently open to customers, but there are detectives and officers inside who are searching the building,” said Lt. Mark Hudson of Fresno Police.
Fresno police are now reviewing surveillance footage from the store to help them get an idea of his whereabouts while he was inside.
Two suspects who were spotted with Wang in River Park on Thursday and arrested have now been released. It has been established that they did not take part in the burglary for which Wang is suspected.
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