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Surveillance video shows a man trapped inside the secure area of a cellular store in Pomona after allegedly breaking into the establishment on Wednesday.

Surveillance video shows an alleged burglar trying to escape from a secure area at a cellular store in Pomona.
Surveillance video shows an alleged burglar trying to escape from a secure area at a cellular store in Pomona.

The incident occurred at a Boost Mobile Store by 20/20 Mobile, where the suspected burglar entered through an air-conditioning duct and triggered an alarm, said Miguel Ceja, an owner of the business.

Not yet open to the public, the location was not stocked with merchandise at the time. The intruder apparently made such a realization before running through a door that he may have thought was an exit. Instead of ending up outside of the building, however, the man found himself inside an inescapable hallway.

When “that door shuts, you’re done,” Ceja said. “You’re not getting out of there.”

He said the secure area, complete with reinforced steel doors, was constructed after he and his business partners lost thousands of dollars worth of inventory in previous burglaries at their other stores.

The footage shows the suspected thief desperately trying to escape for about 45 minutes, kicking the doors and even trying to break through one of them by using a hammer and other tools.

Yet his efforts proved fruitless, and he was freed only when police arrived at the scene and took him into custody.