WIMAUMA, Fla. — A Florida family’s burglary scare took a bizarre turn when Hillsborough County deputies say they found the alleged intruder asleep on the couch — wearing the homeowner’s shoes.
And bodycam video captured the moment a child inside the Wimauma home realized something was wrong.
“Dad, somebody’s been in our house,” the child can be heard saying, according to footage described by FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office identified the man arrested as 26-year-old Erick Moreno.
Deputies responded to a burglary in progress around 11 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators said they found a bicycle believed to belong to the suspect near the scene.
Authorities say Moreno first tried to pry open the front door of one home before entering a second residence through the back while people were still inside.
Deputies say they found suspect sleeping inside
When deputies entered the second home through an open rear sliding door, they found Moreno asleep on the couch, according to HCSO.
He was also wearing the homeowner’s shoes, deputies said.
The sheriff’s office bodycam footage captures deputies questioning the residents about items found inside the home.
At one point, a deputy asks whether a backpack belongs to the family. After they say it does not, the child makes the comment that would sum up the strange discovery: “Dad, somebody’s been in our house.”
Deputies then questioned Moreno about whether he lived at the residence. Moreno answered yes, according to the video, but the homeowner immediately said he did not.
Moreno was taken into custody.
According to law enforcement records cited by FOX 13, Moreno faces two counts of burglary of an occupied dwelling with a weapon, along with charges of possession of burglary tools, resisting an officer without violence and using a false identification card.
Authorities have not publicly explained what weapon allegedly led to the burglary-with-a-weapon charges.
The case remains an allegation, and Moreno has not been convicted of the charges.
The unusual arrest adds another layer to what began as a frightening situation for residents who, deputies say, were still inside their Wimauma home when the alleged break-in occurred.
Further information about the case, including additional details surrounding the charges, could be released as the investigation and court proceedings continue.
