Children help S.L. police catch burglar red-handed

The description was accurate and detailed. The response by police was quick.

The end result was a home burglar caught red-handed as he walked out of the house he was trying to burglarize — all thanks to two alert children.

An 11-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother, who asked that their names not be printed due to safety concerns, were at home about 9:30 p.m. Friday. The boy was playing video games when he heard the sound of glass breaking outside. Police would later discover that the burglar used a rock to break the glass from a side door at a neighbor's house near 1000 East and 600 South.

"I looked out the window and saw him put his hand into (the hole in the broken glass) to open the door," the boy said.

As the boy was watching the events unfold, he got the attention of his sister, who dialed 911 on her cell phone.

"He told me to call the cops," she said. "I just said, 'Someone was in the house.' I just told (the dispatcher) what my brother told me."

Police say because of the "excellent" description provided by the children, they were able to arrive quickly and spot the home invader just as he was walking out with "an extremely large plasma TV" in his arms, said Salt Lake police spokeswoman Lara Jones.

The officer came up on the burglar with his gun drawn, explained the boy, who held his hands together, imitating the actions of the officer as he retold the story.

"He said, 'Hey, put that TV down right now,' " the boy said.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested and booked into juvenile detention for investigation of residential burglary and auto theft. After he was taken into custody, investigators learned the juvenile had arrived at the house, using a car stolen from the mother of his girlfriend, Jones said.

The teen burglar told police that two others might have also been part of the burglary scheme, according to the young children.

A man who answered the door of the house where the TV was taken told the Deseret News Monday he did not know much about what happened at his house. He said police told him a resident on his street called police. When told it was children who made the call, he said he was happy they took the time to do so.

"It makes me feel happy," said the girl about her actions helping catch a burglar.

"It makes me feel good," added her brother.

E-mail: preavy@desnews.com