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Hammer-wielding suspects smash registers at Sonora Walmart, take off with cash

CBS News Live
CBS News Sacramento Live

SONORA – Investigators are looking into whether the hammer-wielding suspects who smashed into registers at a Sonora Walmart to steal cash on Tuesday are linked to other similar recent incidents around the region.

Sonora police say, just before 10:30 a.m., three suspects wearing masks, gloves, and hoods walked right into the Walmart and made their way directly to the Customer Service counter.

There, police say the suspects smashed the registers so that they could rip the cash drawers out.

The suspects managed to take two cash drawers before fleeing the store, police say.

Further, on their way out, police allege that one of the suspects threatened a shopper with the hammer if she didn't get out of the way.

Police would not release how much cash was stolen, but the empty drawers were eventually found discarded near Golf Links Drive and Highway 108.

The suspects were last spotted in their getaway car on Sanguinetti Road.

No further description of the suspects has been given, but investigators are looking into the possibility that the group is linked to similar thefts that have happened recently. Earlier in the week, police in Rocklin dealt with suspects who also smashed their way into the cash registers of a Walmart in their city.

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