SWAT, police catch suspect breaking into Roswell pawn shop

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — SWAT said officers captured a burglary suspect who tried crawling through the ceiling of a business in order to escape.

Police said two burglars broke into Roswell Pawn and Jewelry on Holcomb Bridge Road Thursday morning.

They smashed through the front door of a pawn shop around 5 a.m., police said and tripped the alarm.

Roswell officers were nearby and there in seconds.

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"As he was picking up merchandise and guns, the police arrived,” said business owner Roger Harjwani. “He dropped his stuff, ran to the back of the store."

The pawn shop's owner said the one suspect went into the bathroom and then up to try to get away.

"There's no back hallway or door that leads from the pawn shop next door to the barber shop,” Harjwani said. “So, they think the suspect had to go up into the ceiling, through the wall and drop down."

The barber shop's owner first checked the feed from his security cameras at home and everything looked normal.

"When I came over here, was big surprise for me,” said barber shop owner Ray Espianl.

Espianl said his shop’s ceiling and walls were damaged in the mess.

The pawn shop also won't re-open for a while, but they didn't lose anything and the guns the thieves thought they were stealing weren't even real.

The real firepower is kept under lock and key.

"All our guns are actually in the safe,” Harjwani said. “The guns that are out are actually air guns."

After hours of searching from above and below, SWAT stood down could not find a second burglar hiding in the ceiling.

Cox Media Group