Two suspects, identified only as Zoryon and Marcus from Long Beach, were arrested after stealing lottery tickets from an Orange County liquor store and leading police on a brief chase.
According to the Seal Beach Police Department, the suspects used a crowbar to smash the glass window of the West Beach Liquor store on the 400 block of Pacific Coast Highway around 3 a.m. Tuesday. A patrol car in the area heard the alarm and arrived on the scene to find the suspects fleeing in a black Nissan Altima.
The chase ended swiftly when the suspects drove up a dead-end street on the 100 block of Coastline Drive, about a block away. The police recovered the stolen unused scratchers, the crowbar, and several other items of evidence from the suspects’ vehicle.
The California Lottery automatically voids stolen scratch off games, rendering them worthless as they cannot be turned in for cash rewards. This incident illustrates the crucial role of vigilant law enforcement in responding to criminal activities and underscores the futility and potential consequences of such theft. The suspects now face potential felony charges, demonstrating that the risk is far greater than any potential reward from stolen lottery tickets.