Man Falls Through Ceiling After Hiding in Mall Department Store
Authorities apprehended a man who was found hiding in the ceiling of a Vancouver, Washington Macy's, leading to a dramatic fall captured on police bodycam.
A man attempting to evade police was apprehended after he fell through the ceiling of a Macy's department store in Vancouver, Washington. The incident occurred on September 30th when the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) located Gabriel Llamalt Hideo crawling within the store's ceiling.
According to authorities, Hideo was charged with first-degree malicious mischief, first-degree burglary, and a felony warrant. Kim Kapp, the VPD Public Affairs Manager, stated that dispatch received a call around 4 p.m. from employees who reported hearing breaking ceiling tiles in the home department.
Body camera footage shows officers placing a ladder through a hole in the ceiling with a mattress positioned below for a safe landing. The second floor of the store was evacuated for customer safety. Hideo reportedly moved through the ceiling for over an hour, breaking tiles and damaging fixtures, before eventually climbing onto the ladder.
When officers removed the ladder, Hideo fell onto the mattress. He then attempted to flee but was quickly subdued by multiple officers, restrained, and taken into custody. He was booked into Clark County Jail on October 1st.
Clark County Jail records indicate Hideo is being held on $15,000 bail for both the malicious mischief and burglary charges. The VPD has not yet provided an estimate for the damages caused to the store.
