1 in custody, 2 at-large in Tahoe City burglary

By Kathryn Reed

A quick thinking Placer County sheriff’s deputy was able to recover jewelry stolen in a heist this morning in Tahoe City.

The deputy was driving when he heard a window smash about 6am July 31. He saw a truck in an alley with three men looking at him. Two people fled on foot and the driver sped off.

The officer was able to pull the driver over near the River Ranch on Highway 89.

Michael Potter, 20, of Sacramento was arrested on charges of commercial burglary, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a felony and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Detective Sgt. Dave Hunt said all of the jewelry taken from Bluestone Jewelry was recovered from the vehicle.

“They were in the store less than a minute,” Hunt told Lake Tahoe News. And in that time they were able to grab “a large amount” of jewelry, he added. He said they smashed a window to gain access.

A helicopter and large law enforcement presence have been scouring the area looking for the two male subjects who got away. They were wearing all black.

The vehicle used in the heist had recently been stolen in Tahoe City.

Different suspects who were eventually caught had burglarized Bluestone in the last year.

A similar caper happened in South Lake Tahoe in April, where a stolen vehicle was used in a jewelry store heist. No one has ever been arrested in the Simpson’s Jewelry smash and grab.