Man hides in closet while house is burglarized

WEST VALLEY CITY — A man who hid in a closet talking to emergency dispatchers while his house was being burglarized helped police catch the intruder.

Now, investigators want to know if the suspect was responsible for any other burglaries.

Just after 8 a.m. Friday, a man living near 4700 West and 3100 South spotted a white vehicle in front of his house he wasn't familiar with and then heard someone inside his home, said West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan. The resident hid in a closet and dialed 911.

Police arrived in the area just as the get-away car was leaving, McLachlan said. Officers pulled the man over and were about to put the man in handcuffs simply as a precaution until they knew what they were dealing with when the suspect resisted arrest, McLachlan said.

The man struggled with the officers until they were able to take him to the ground and handcuff him. One officer suffered a minor hand injury in the confrontation.

Inside the vehicle, detectives reportedly found property that had just been stolen from the house, including a wallet, iPod and cell phone. Also inside the car was a computer recently stolen from a car in Sandy, McLachlan said, as well as other property,

The investigation into the extent of the man's potential burglary spree continued Monday. Thad Strader, 19, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated burglary, theft and aggravated assault, all with gang enhancements.

— Pat Reavy