Despite signs saying it was monitored by surveillance cameras, a house in Pinehurst, Texas, was recently burglarized by a criminal who was filmed in the act by the home’s security system, according to a report by local TV news station KHOU 11 News.
“This homeowner had his home secured pretty well,” Detective Mick Price of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said, according to the news provider. “Not only did he have an alarm system, but again he had high-quality surveillance cameras and he actually had solid wood doors with deadbolt locks.”
The video shows the suspect peeking into windows and adamantly searching under the floor mat for a spare key. Upon finding none, he decides that entry by force is the only way in, KHOU 11 News reported. The perpetrator delivers five kicks to the back door before it opens and sets off the burglar alarm, at which point he grabbed a flat-screen TV and leaves the scene of the crime.
“He was in hurry-up mode and he grabbed the TV right there in first room and ran out,” Price said, according to KHOU 11 News.
No one in the neighborhood recognizes the criminal, which causes some alarm, as the area is pretty secluded and often not home to many visitors, the news source said.
“We’ve never had a reason to worry about anything,” Stephen Aaron, a neighbor of the burglarized home, told KHOU 11 News. “I just hope they find whoever did it.”
A study by Temple University revealed that alarm systems tend to reduce the chance of burglary by more than 66 percent when they are paired up with the with three or more other precautions taken by the homeowner, which can include locking doors with deadbolt locks and adding exterior lights.
“Security precautions that address the criteria of deterrence, prevention and detection significantly reduce a property’s chance of becoming a burglary victim,” Simon Hakim, the report author, said.
The study noted that burglars, on average, spend about 60 seconds trying to break into a home, which gives them an appropriate amount of time to change their mind. By implementing a robust security program, homeowners can enhance their ability to detect and deter crime taking place on their property.