San Bernardino man breaks into sheriff’s department cars after being released from jail, officials say

A San Bernardino man was arrested on suspicion of breaking into a sheriff’s department vehicle shortly after he was released from jail, according to authorities.

Manuel Nunez-Palomino was arrested Thursday around 10:45 a.m. in connection with an outstanding misdemeanor traffic warrant and was booked into the San Bernardino County Sheriff Central Detention Center at East Rialto Avenue, according to a sheriff’s department news release.

The next day, at 12:18 p.m., Nunez-Palomino was released from custody and was seen on security cameras walking through the sheriff’s employee parking lot, according to the release. Nunez-Palomino allegedly pulled several door handles to try to enter some of the vehicles. The news release did not make clear whether the suspect was trying to enter patrol cars or the personal vehicles of department staff.

One of the deputies went to the parking lot and said he saw Nunez-Palomino open an unlocked door of an occupied vehicle, according to the release. The driver of the car was scared that he was going to be robbed, and told him to get out of the car.

The deputy in the lot approached the car and ordered Nunez-Palomino to stop, but he fled the vehicle and was later detained and arrested on suspicion of attempted vehicle burglary, the release said.