Sarnia Police Service officials allege: A man is in custody after a series of incidents Monday night that began with reports of a vehicle break-in and ended with an arrest inside a nearby home on Cotterbury Street.
Sarnia police say they received a call around 8 p.m. on November 3 about a man seen breaking into a vehicle. A resident reported finding a male with a hammer sitting inside their car. When the resident shouted, the suspect fled the area. No items were taken and the vehicle was not damaged.
A second call came in at 8:23 p.m. from another Cotterbury Street residence reporting a break and enter. Police said a woman who had been asleep in the home heard noises and texted her husband to ask if he was home. When he replied that he was not, she yelled out and heard someone attempting to flee.
Her husband arrived shortly afterward and confronted an unknown man inside the home, pinning him to the floor while she called 911. Officers arrived and took the suspect into custody.
A knife taken from the kitchen was recovered nearby, along with drug paraphernalia, narcotics, and items stolen from the residence. Police said the man was already subject to multiple release orders and probation conditions.
While in custody, police said he became disruptive and resistant. After being placed in a holding cell, he smeared feces on the walls and threw it toward the monitoring camera. Additional charges of mischief and breach of probation were added.
He was held for bail on several charges, including break and enter, possession of property obtained by crime, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, failure to comply with probation, and mischief under $5,000. Following a bail hearing, he was remanded into custody.
Police said the homeowners were shaken but not injured. They added that the husband’s actions in physically restraining the intruder were lawful and considered a reasonable use of force until officers arrived.
