Bungling Grove Burglar Caught On Camera
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A bungling burglar was caught on surveillance cameras breaking in to a Coconut Grove property Tuesday.
The burglary happened at around 3:00 AM on Tiger Tail Avenue.
The thief made off with a scooter and bike, but not before falling to the ground and losing his glasses.
"The first feeling was of fear," the homeowner Hugo Mantilla told CBS4's Gaby Fleischman. "I have a 16-year-old daughter. A guy jumping over on my property is pretty scary."
Mantilla says he was sleeping when the break-in happened and feels fortunate that his daughter was not home when the alleged thief showed up.
In the surveillance video, the crook is seen casing back-and-forth in the middle of the street for several minutes before he finally made his move.
He used a flashlight to check out a scooter parked in front of the house and takes it.
The man returned, and as he tried to jump a wall to get inside, he fell to the ground and his glasses flew off.
"Not a smart guy," said Mantilla. "I felt like he might not be all there."
After several minutes the man finds his glasses, manages to jump the wall and steal a pricey mountain bike.
"He wasn't discouraged by the ADT sign, he wasn't discouraged by several cameras," said Mantilla. "It looked like he knew that he had plenty of time, had done it before and will continue to do it unless somebody stops him."
Mantilla says detectives investigating the case told him there has been a spike in burglaries in the area and that they believe the man in the video is connected to other thefts.
Mantilla is offering a $500 reward to anyone who turns the bumbling burglar in. You can call police or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
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