Man Crawls Through Vancouver Mall Ceiling, Drops Onto a Store Mattress Before Arrest
A man accused of crawling through the ceiling of a department store at Vancouver Mall spent more than an hour above officers before an attempted escape ended on a mattress placed beneath him.
Employees called police after spotting the man moving through the ceiling Wednesday, Sept. 30, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
Police said the man continued crawling despite repeated commands to come down, breaking ceiling tiles and damaging lights, wiring and other fixtures as he moved.
Officers evacuated the store’s second floor while police and firefighters worked to bring him down safely.
Above The Store
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A ladder was positioned through the ceiling, while officers placed a mattress underneath the opening in case the man fell.
Police said officers spent more than an hour trying to persuade him to climb down.
He eventually stepped onto the ladder, but police said he then tried to climb back into the ceiling.
Officers pulled the ladder away to prevent him from returning above the store.
The man dropped onto the mattress below, got back to his feet and tried to run, according to police.
Officers took him into custody.
Booked Overnight
VPD identified the man as Gabriel Hideo and said he was later booked on suspicion of first-degree malicious mischief, first-degree burglary and a felony warrant.
The Clark County Jail roster lists him under the full name Gabriel Llamalt Hideo and shows a booking date of Oct. 1. The roster currently lists first-degree malicious mischief as a charge.
Police did not identify the department store in the post or provide an estimate for the damage caused to the ceiling.
