Surveillance video records burglar staring at sleeping toddler
KATY, Texas - A family is glad that their toddler is safe after surveillance video captured a burglar sneaking into their home and staring at their baby boy, reports CBS affiliate KHOU.
The video was recorded around 5 a.m. April 5, when the unidentified suspect slipped into the family's Katy home in the Houston metropolitan area through an unlocked first-story window, according to the station. The teenage burglar appeared to be aware of the cameras but was apparently undeterred.
Investigators released the surveillance video Tuesday and hope that someone will be able to identify the intruder.
In the footage, the teen goes from room to room, and can be seen walking in and out of the 2-year-old's bedroom for five minutes, according to the station. At one point, he even points a flashlight into the sleeping child's crib.
"I was infuriated when I saw him walking back and forth in my baby's room. My stomach was turning," said the child's father, Thinh Le. "He's my world. I love him."
Le and the child's mother slept through the whole ordeal in their bedroom on the first floor, KHOU reports. The couple doesn't know why the intruder was drawn to their child's room, which is located upstairs.
"My boy thought it was me so he went back to sleep," Le told the station. "If he made noise or cried and I went upstairs, something else could happen."
The burglar eventually left and is believed to have burglarized another home in the area, according to KHOU. He reportedly also got into that home through an unlocked window.
"I was sleeping. My dog started barking at the top of the stairs," Crystal Cox told the station. "My boyfriend thought his bark sounded different so he switched the light on." After Cox's boyfriend shined a light downstairs, the suspect fled.
On her front lawn, Cox found abandoned stolen belongings, including her and her sister's purses, her laptop bag and a laptop bag belonging to Le, which she determined from contact information found on the item. Cox got in touch with Le, who also had $60 stolen from his wallet, KHOU reports.
Neighbors believe the intruder is responsible for a string of robberies in the community, according to the station. Cox was shocked after seeing Le's surveillance video. "He had no problem being in someone's house, knowing that they were home asleep. That takes a lot of nerve," she said.
KHOU reports that the subject is male, between 16 and 18 years old. He wore a New Era baseball cap with a San Antonio Spurs logo on the brim. He has a tattoo behind his right ear, possibly of Asian characters.
Anyone who might recognize or have any information about the suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.