Cops: Would-Be Burglar Caught On Doorbell Cam Could Be Behind String Of Break-Ins
FRANKLIN TWP, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Police in New Jersey are searching or a man they say was caught on surveillance video trying to get into a home in the middle of the night.
Investigators say he could be the same man wanted for a string of burglaries in another town.
The family was fast asleep at the Franklin Township home as the man lurked quietly at their front door. He persisted despite noticing their doorbell camera.
"My phone went off," homeowner Michael Wade said. "Got video doorbell, looked at my phone, and saw someone trying to get into my door.
Wade immediately called police around 4 a.m., but the would-be thief had already slipped away. Wade says he noticed how persistent the man was when he saw his screen cut through in an attempt to break in through the window.
"Apparently he was raising the screens and trying to get the window open because all the screens are pushed up," Wade said.
The suspect didn't stop there. Wade's neighbor says he soon showed up at their home around the corner on Abbott Road.
"This person had been at my door around 2:30 a.m. on Labor Day, then he returned around 4:30 a.m., so he came twice," the neighbor said. "He was looking through the pane of my glass door."
Franklin Township Police say the man's a person of interest in several burglaries, and they're looking whether he's behind a similar pattern last month in North Brunswick. In those incidents, cps say the suspect crept through kitchens and got away with liquor and car keys.
Investigators say he stole unsuspecting victims' vehicles right from their driveways.
"To me, someone who is going to do that when you're at home is a little more dangerous than cat burglar during the day," Wade said.
Police are now urging residents in the area to stay vigilant and report anything suspicious immediately.
