Gravity, it turns out, is a more reliable investigator than most. Dallas Police, per their DPD Beat blog, say 41-year-old Gabriel Ybarra was arrested on February 24 after he fell through the roof of a West Illinois Avenue business he had allegedly just burglarized. The thing is that he used the same roof he’d used to break in. “The preliminary investigation determined the suspect entered the business through the roof and stole approximately $12,000 worth of property,” the Dallas Police Department stated in a post.
Officers responding to the burglary-in-progress call in the 3800 block of W. Illinois spotted Ybarra still on the roof. As they approached, the building itself settled the matter. “As officers approached the building, Ybarra fell through the roof,” the department reported. “Officers were able to gain entry into the business and arrest Ybarra.” He was booked into Dallas County Jail on a charge of Burglary of a Building–Forced Entry, a state jail felony, under case number 026695-2026.
But the building had apparently seen Ybarra before. Investigators connected him to a previous burglary at the same location on January 31, documented under case number 018762-2026, resulting in a second identical charge. The department did not disclose what type of business was targeted or what property was taken, but confirmed both cases remain under investigation.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Dallas Police.