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Deputies: Sonora Burglary Suspect Rammed 2 Businesses With Van To Break In

SONORA (CBS13) — A man suspected of crashing a van into a couple of Sonora-area businesses to burglarize them has been arrested.

The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office says, on Monday, deputies responded to an alarm call at the Sears Hometown Store in East Sonora and found that the front glass doors had been smashed.

After taking a look at the video surveillance, investigators discovered that someone in a white utility van had rammed into the front door. Deputies say several tools worth a total of over $1,000 were stolen.

Investigators were able to identify the suspect as 32-year-old Sonora resident Matthew Williams. However, before he could be caught, the sheriff's office says they got another report of a similar attempted burglary at a store in the Junction Shopping Center later in the day.

While nothing was stolen in that second incident, deputies say thousands of dollars in damage was done.

Later in the afternoon, deputies spotted the van in the Sonora Walmart parking lot. Deputies peeked inside the van and spotted the tools stolen in the Sears burglary.

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Williams was soon spotted near the Staples store in the area and was arrested. He is now facing charges of burglary, attempted burglary, and an out-of-county felony warrant.

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