Rialto man released early from prison breaks into several businesses, police say

Rialto police arrested a man who allegedly broke into several businesses on Wednesday night. Officers said the suspect was on early release for a previous burglary conviction.

Vanessa Jimenez's store, My Crazy Closet, was one of the businesses the suspect burglarized and vandalized. Jimenez said she created her small business to help women feel confident. She opened the clothing store after the death of her son, Sergio.

"That person hit home. This is something that I built. I'm trying not to cry," Jimenez said. "I build stuff, clothes by clothes, piece by piece and everything missing takes a big hit. 

Security camera video shows the suspect throwing a brick and shattering the front door to one of the businesses in the shopping center before hitting several others, including Jimenez's. When the thief realized that he couldn't break through the front door of My Crazy Closet, he broke into the business next door and punched a hole in the wall before climbing through it.

"That's when I discovered I had a hole the size of a mannequin to fit through," Jimenez said. 

Jimenez said the suspect stole her cash register, about 150 outfits and more than a dozen cowboy hats. She added that he also tried to take a mannequin but left it behind. 

While the Rialto Police Department has arrested the suspect, it has not recovered the stolen items. 

"It's very easy to sit back and say, 'Oh, it's just a business. It's just a window.' But behind the business, behind the broken window, behind the loss, there are real people. There are business owners, there are employees, " Capt. Lamont Quarker said. "When something like this happens, it takes a toll on the business and business owners themselves."

Jimenez and her neighbors said they're grateful for the investigators' quick action in finding the thief.

"I'm just going to be coming back stronger," Jimenez said. "I'm not going to let this stop me."