LAYTON, Utah — Layton police are investigating a pair of aggressive "smash and grab" type burglaries in which the suspects used vehicles to crash into stores.
According to posts on the department's Facebook page, during the early morning hours of March 6, burglars crashed stolen cars into Get Some Guns & Ammo and C-A-L Ranch in Layton.
Police said the trio of suspects used vehicles stolen from South Weber and Farmington. Chaylee DeVore owns the car that crashed into C-A-L Ranch.
At first, Chaylee didn't even know her car was gone until Police came knocking on the door Friday morning.
"I said 'Chaylee, there’s cops at the door for you!'" Chaylee's mother Stacy Harker recounted. "I was like, 'What?!'" Chaylee exclaimed. "I'm like, 'Your car is gone!'" Stacy yelled. "I flipped out," Chaylee said.
Flipped out is right-- Stacy said Chaylee began to cry and mom hugged her daughter.
"I even threw some 'F' bombs, and my mom was like, 'Watch your language,'" Chaylee said. "I was distraught."
Expressive language, some would certainly argue, would be called for upon watching what happened to Chaylee's car. Surveillance shows it smashing through the doors of C-A-L Ranch. A person with a red and black hoodie, black pants and sneakers steps out of the driver seat. Two men-- one in a gray sweatshirt, dark pants and white shoes and one in a black sweatshirt, jeans and black and white beanie-- step out of the back seat.
Surveillance shows them running out of the store with guns.
"It appeared the suspects knew exactly what they were going for during these burglaries," said Sergeant Riley Richins with Layton City Police.
Earlier in the morning, Sgt. Richins explained that they believe the same group crashed a different stolen car into Get Some Guns & Ammo. By Friday afternoon, the car had been towed away and a crew worked on boarding up the open door and window.
Manager Mel Heath pointed to the empty front area, where the car crashed into.
"They tried to break in, and they didn’t take anything," Heath explained. "They weren’t successful at all."
That's right-- the burglars didn't even get away with any items after the dangerous and arguably reckless break-in attempt. That's because, Heath said, the suspects couldn't make it past the inner security doors.
"These two doors, plus a steel security door on the inside would have been almost impossible to break through," he said.
The suspects used a getaway vehicle, police believe, and went on to crash Chaylee's car into C-A-L Ranch. According to police, the three burglars got away with multiple firearms, and left Chaylee's car totaled inside the store.
Chaylee won't be able to drive her car anymore.
"It’s her baby," Stacy said. Chaylee echoed: "It’s my baby boy."
The mom and daughter hope police can find and charge the burglars. Layton Police said the suspects could face vehicle theft and federal theft of firearms charges.
"Jerks!" Stacy said, of the burglars. "Big jerks," Chaylee said. Mom declared: "They're idiots."
If you have any information on these crimes, you're asked to call the Layton Police Department at 801-497-8300.
