Palm Springs police arrest burglary suspect who ended up on Vons roof and hiding in a cave near a steep hillside

A man and a woman accused of a residential burglary are behind bars after Palm Springs police searched the roof of a grocery store as well a nearby steep hillside.

The incident began at around 11:30 a.m. on Monday. Police said a homeowner called 911 reporting a theft at their vacant rental property on the 2100 block of Bob O Link Lane.

The security camera captured a man going in and out of the home, the homeowner told police. When officers arrived to the scene, they spotted a man and a woman running away.

Officers were able to arrest the woman in the backyard, however, the man was able to run away through the neighborhood. He ended up near the Vons at 4733 E Palm Canyon Drive.

Police said the man ended up on the roof of the grocery store. Construction workers nearby helped officers access the roof using a lift on the property. Officers then continued their search through crawl spaces and the attic.

The store manager secured all the doors and issued an evacuation for customers, in case the suspect made it through the ceiling and into the store.

Police said the man was able to make his way out of the store and was seen near an RV walking toward a nearby trail and hillside.

A CHP fixed-wing aircraft and Riverside County Sheriff’s Office helicopter were called in to help locate the suspect, as he climbed up the steep hill, toward two water towers.

Officers and detectives climbed the hillside in search of the suspect, who started throwing rocks and large boulders at them, as they got closer, police revealed.

The suspect then went into a deep crevice, trying to hide. He was taken into custody at around 2:40 p.m.

He was escorted down the hill and taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

Police said he will be transported to the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio. He faces charges of residential burglary and resisting an officer.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.