Surveillance footage captured an alleged burglar trying to break into a home Wednesday, but the owner says that house was empty, according to an ABC 15 report. Thomas Gonzalez, 48, was arrested on charges of criminal damage and burglary, police said.
Home owner Jered Van Houten told the outlet his Phoenix, Arizona home had been on sale when a man spent two hours attempting to get inside.
“It freaked me out,” he said. His family wasn’t home at the time.
Sixteen surveillance cameras saw the suspect steal mail and a saw, get on top of a shed, and try to break into the home through several doors and the laundry room. The alarm turned on, sending him running.
Mind you, this was the first attempt. About an hour and a half later, the suspect returned wearing a different outfit. This time he allegedly stole, then later returned, the realtor key box.
Van Houten suggested the suspect chose that home because of the for-sale sign.
“Your light fixtures, your fans–basically, if someone knows that a house is completely empty and nobody’s monitoring it, it’s a free-for-all,” he said.
[Screengrab via ABC 15]
