2 arrested, 1 still wanted following smash-n-grab theft of 700lb safe in California

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. — A smash-and-grab burglary of a Chowchilla business was caught on camera, showing the theft of a 700-pound safe.

The Chowchilla Police Department says officers were first called out to a burglary alarm at a business in the 3000 block of East Robertson Blvd.

When officers arrive on scene, they found the front of the business smashed in with major damage.

Officers investigated and were able to get surveillance video showing a white Ford truck backing in the doors of the building.

Three masked men can then be seen taking in chains and using the truck to pull out a large 700-pound safe.

The suspects then load the safe into the bed of the truck and drive off.

The loss was estimated at about $100,000.

Chowchilla Police investigated with the help of Madera Police Special Investigations Unit.

Using newly purchased license plate readers and cameras, they were able to identify the suspect truck as a white Ford F350, reported stolen out of Delhi.

The original plates were swapped out and replaced with multiple others before the burglary.

Investigators were able to find a possible suspect house near Beachwood Drive and Ashby Road in Merced County.

When in the area, they found a matching F350 behind a home.

A search warrant was approved and served, and several items from the burglary were found.

Two of the three suspects were arrested and identified as 36-year-old Brandon Dubos and 55-year-old David Nesbitt of Beachwood.

The third suspect I still wanted and has been identified as 36-year-old Raymond Santistevan of Atwater, who is already a parolee at large and has a long criminal history involving theft.