Heavy police activity unfolded at the Folsom Palladio on Sunday night as Folsom police responded to an alleged armed robbery shortly after 9 p.m. According to radio traffic from the scene, officers confirmed the victim was reportedly robbed by a suspect believed to be armed while inside the Palladio Theater. Following the robbery, the suspect fled with the victim’s car keys.
“A caller reported that a friend texted to say she had been robbed at gunpoint in the movie theater at Palladio. Because we were unable to determine if the gunman was still in the theater or not, several officers responded with patrol rifles and secured the theater,” explained Commander Andrew Bates of the Folsom Police Department.
According to the report, officers later learned the suspect was gone, but he had threatened the victim, saying he had a gun and had people “watching her in the theater,” so she was afraid to leave and report the robbery until officers arrived. The suspect then proceeded to steal the victim’s car from the parking lot. The suspect was described by the victim and police as a white male, 18 to 20 years old, with brown hair. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black jacket.
Folsom police closed off several access points to the complex as they investigated the incident and gathered witness statements. Witnesses provided very few details about the suspect’s appearance or whether he was a minor or an adult. The suspect fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, which was reportedly tracked to Sacramento and located near Highway 99 and Mascot Drive.
According to dispatch and officer radio traffic, heavy police activity was underway near Mascot Drive in South Sacramento around 10:40 p.m. as the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Folsom police, and other law enforcement agencies worked to apprehend the suspect and continued investigating the incident. Folsom police later confirmed to Folsom Times that the car was located, but the suspect was not, and he remained at large Monday morning.
“The officers were able to locate the vehicle in Sacramento,” Bates said. “Sacramento police assisted by securing the car and stopping someone nearby, who was determined not to have been involved in the theft.”
As of 10:50 p.m. Sunday, the shuttered areas of the Folsom Palladio had been reopened to the public, but police remained in the area. Folsom police have not confirmed whether the suspect was armed with a handgun, as initially reported, and the investigation is ongoing.
Many residents took to social media as the incident unfolded, posting on sites such as Folsom Chat and Folsom Watch, where some misinformation was shared before moderators closed the threads during the active investigation. Folsom police confirmed that no shooting took place and that law enforcement did not enter the movie theater and tell patrons to “run,” as erroneously posted online. Officers did ask six patrons in the affected theater to leave the seating area while they secured the scene. No injuries were reported.
This remains an active investigation, and further details will be provided by Folsom police and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office as they become available.
Article last updated with additional information at 11 a.m. Dec. 30.
