Home CCTV system helps identify robbery suspect

Many residents in Belleville have installed CCTV security cameras in their homes. The cameras increase the homeowner’s sense of personal security, but do they help catch criminals? A recent arrest in Belleville provides evidence for a positive answer.

A woman in Belleville called police when she awoke to find out that the lights in her home were not working. When police inspected the home, they found that the house’s main circuit breaker had been turned off. The woman told police that she believed that someone had been in her home during the two previous evenings because she found doors left open, damage to a storm door and a damaged cell phone.

One week later, the police were called to the same residence to investigate another suspected burglary. The woman told police that she had been awakened by a noise in the house. Police did not find an intruder on the premises, but the woman’s home security system captured the image of the suspected intruder. A man that police believe to be the intruder was arrested the next day and charged with residential burglary and criminal trespass against an occupied residence.

The evidence in this case, especially the CCTV recording, may seem especially daunting, but many questions remain. Is the arrested suspect the face that was captured in the security video? Was the CCTV system operating properly? Did police recover any property that may have been stolen from the house? Further analysis may reveal other questions. Anyone facing charges of this nature may benefit from consulting an experienced criminal defense attorney for advice on the strength of the evidence, potential defenses and the chances of negotiating a favorable plea agreement.

Source: Belleville News-Democrat, “Man broke into same Belleville home at least 2 times, police say,” Kara Berg, May 2, 2018