FRESNO - On Sunday, December 24th, at 1:33pm, Northwest patrol officers from the Fresno Police Department were dispatched to Ultimate Garages, 317 W. Bedford Avenue, regarding a burglary in progress. The business owner’s video monitoring system inside the business sent an alert to her smartphone indicating someone was breaking into her business.
Once the victim received the alert, she saw a masked intruder smashing the front glass door of the business and gain entry to the business. The victim immediately notified the Fresno Police Department. Officers were close to the location as they were finishing up an unrelated call just north of the burglary. As officers responded to the in progress crime, Eagle One, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement helicopter, also responded to the scene.
Officer Vic Barrios arrived on scene at the business and saw Suspects Justin Brietwieser and Soliel Phariss rapidly moving through a field located south of Ultimate Garages. Barrios used his police radio to notify canvassing officers and the suspects were detained in front of 246 W. Pinedale Avenue. The suspects were in possession of a camoflauge back pack which contained all of the stolen property (several wallets, car care products, headlight restoration kits, and other items) from the business. Also in the backpack was the ski mask Breitwieser had on when he committed the crime, handgun bullets in a case, a handgun holster, a large jar of marijuana, and a meth pipe.
As officers were detaining the suspects, an officer saw an unusual object on a grass parking strip in front of 258 W. Pinedale. The officer walked up to the object and saw it was a piece of camoflauge cloth covering an object. The officer found a .357 Magnum revolver underneath the cloth. The handgun was loaded. The suspects had the gun in their possession but once they saw Eagle One overhead, and ground officers approaching in patrol cars, the suspects tried to hide the gun before they were detained.
Justin Breitwieser was charged with: Commercial Burglary, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition (34 Counts), Possession of Burglary Tools, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary, Felony Probation Violation (he is on probation for burglary), Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Methamphetamine Smoking Pipe.
Soliel Phariss was charged with: Commercial Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary, Felony Probation Violation (she is on probation for auto theft), and she was arrested on a Madera County Fraud Warrant.