A Grover Beach homeowner says indoor security cameras alerted him and his wife that someone was inside their house Tuesday afternoon.
The incident happened at a home in the 200 block of North 10th Street, across from Ramona Garden Park, according to KSBY. Police Chief Jim Munro told the station officers were responding to a “burglary in progress” just before 2 p.m.
Homeowner Michael Highnote told KSBY that the woman took a shower, used his wife’s makeup and hairbrush, went through drawers, took his flannel shirt, and took his truck keys.
Highnote said he and his wife spoke to the woman through the cameras and told her to leave while police were on the way.
The Homeowners Spoke Through The Cameras
Highnote told KSBY the camera alert let the couple see what was happening and talk to the woman from outside the home.
He said officers stayed on the phone with him while they were at the scene and praised how quickly police responded.
The Doggy Door May Have Been The Entry Point
Highnote said he believes the woman climbed in through the doggy door.
That detail is worth checking around any home with pets. A doggy door, side entrance, garage door, window well, or small back entry can be easy to forget until someone uses it.
Police Arrested The Woman On Suspicion Of Burglary
Chief Munro said the woman was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary.
Highnote said officers got the couple’s things back to them. The case also shows why camera alerts work best when homeowners call police quickly instead of trying to handle a break-in alone.