Homeowner Watches Burglary Suspect On Camera In Santa Cruz County

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — A man who allegedly broke into a vacation rental along the Santa Cruz coast thought he was alone, but the sheriff's office says the property owner was watching the suspect on a home monitoring system. Perry Martin was arrested Friday after the owner of the property on East Cliff Drive called the sheriff's office.

"He broke in through a locked window and started looking around for anything he could grab," according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office. "What he did not realize was that the home owner was watching him on video cameras. The owner called the sheriff's office just as Martin left the house on a stolen bike."

Deputies picked up Martin about two blocks away, who was allegedly in possession of other stolen items besides the bike. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of burglary.