Demand for CDs Spikes in Poway

"I was asked to fill in at the Poway Music Trader," says "Steve," a regular employee of the Sports Arena Music Trader. "I had never worked there before. I went back to use the bathroom, and I locked the front door. When I came back, there was a person there. I opened the door. He asked for a cigarette. I told him 'no.' He smelled like alcohol. He emptied his backpack on the ground and said he was looking for tobacco rolling papers.

"He came into the store and was looking at CDs. He walked up like he was going to pay, and I was helping another customer. Then, he just bolted out the door. I yelled and then ran after him. I'm not very fast, and there's this field behind the store. It was dark, and I didn't want to chase him out there. The customer I was helping got into his truck and was helping me look for him.

"I went back to the store and saw he left his bike and backpack out front. I brought them into the store, locked the doors, and called the sheriff. As I'm on the phone, he came pounding on the door. He said, 'I'll give you these CDs back if you give me my bike back.' He then started screaming, 'I'm gonna kill you, man! You're a dead man!' The cop said since he threatened me, it was now a big deal.

"The guy took off before the cops got there, but the sheriff recognized the bike. Although, he said my description didn't match the description of the guy that owned the bike."

What kind of CDs did he take?

"A few were rap, but he picked up a punk one, too, as he was walking up."