Full Notification

On November 2, 2014, Farmington Public Safety officers arrested a 21 year old homeless man for breaking and entering. An alert neighbor called 9-1-1 immediately after witnessing suspicious activities at the home next door to him, which was vacant and for sale on the 23000 block of Lilac Street.

The alert resident was standing on his back deck in the morning when he heard the sound of a window closing at the vacant home. The resident told officers that he was aware of previous break-ins in the area, so he had a heightened sense of awareness. The resident then observed a suspicious male walk toward the backyard of the home and jump the fence.

The resident called 9-1-1 at which time two public safety officers were dispatched to the area. Officer set up a perimeter and began to search for the suspect on foot. The officers located an individual who matched the description of the suspect in the backyard of a home on Floral Street. Officers questioned the man who admitted that he had broken into the home because he was homeless and needed a place to sleep. The man subsequently confessed that this was his third time breaking into the home and that he had broken into an additional vacant/for sale home on the 23000 block of Floral earlier in the month. The suspect is being held at the public safety department pending charges.

Public Safety Director Frank Demers said, “Thanks to the quick actions of an alert neighbor, officers were able to take this man in custody quickly and resolve an additional open burglary investigation. The witness in this case truly lived up to the fundamentals of Neighborhood Watch which are to report all suspicious persons, vehicles or situations in your neighborhood to the public safety department immediately.” Director Demers added that he personally called the witness to extend his gratitude and congratulate him on a job well done.