Gas Station Burglary Suspects Make Off With Winning Lottery Tickets Valued $15K

MENDOCINO COUNTY (CBS SF) -- Northern California investigators are following a trail of winning lottery tickets valued at $15,150, that were stolen during a gas station burglary the day after Christmas.

Surveillance cameras videotaped two suspects forcefully entering Jensen's Truck Stop in the 1400 block of Lovers Lane, in Ukiah. The pair made off with boxes of cigarettes, money, and several packages California Lottery Tickets according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department.

The lottery tickets were reported to the California State Lottery Board as stolen.

Since the burglary, investigators have been able to track down several individuals who attempted to claim winnings with the stolen tickets.

One person of interest was traced to a Ukiah hotel where authorities found several hundred dollars worth of stolen lottery tickets.

So far, detectives have recovered $9000 worth of the stolen lottery tickets, and more than a dozen cartons of stolen cigarettes, as well.

No suspects' names have been released because the investigation is ongoing.