Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
Intruder may have entered wrong house by mistake
By Shelley Grieshop
CELINA - The suspect in a reported home invasion Tuesday morning may have mistakenly entered the wrong residence, Celina Police Chief Dave Slusser said this morning.
The unidentified man, who remains at large, may have been drunk, under the influence of drugs or suffering a mental condition when he entered a woman's bedroom on Leona Street at 12:53 a.m., Slusser said.
"He may have just walked into the wrong house," he added.
The back door of the home in the 300 block was unlocked and led directly to the victim's bedroom, Slusser said. The suspect reportedly walked into the room where the woman was sleeping and began to undress.
The police theory is the result of further interviews with the victim, Slusser said. She told police the suspect behaved like "he was supposed to be there." However, police aren't certain of the man's motive, he added.
The woman said she awoke to find the partially undressed 6-foot, 250-pound man standing in her room. She asked him why he was there and told him to leave. The suspect tried to redress as the woman ran to her son's bedroom for help. The son and the suspect briefly confronted one another before the intruder fled and the woman summoned police.
The suspect - described as having a stocky build, dark hair and partial beard - left behind a long-sleeved, grey and red-striped shirt with "Property of Polo Jeans" written across the number 67. It is being analyzed for evidence.
Police used a K-9 unit to track the man through the neighborhood but were unsuccessful. Officers believe he traveled through backyards and in between homes in the area.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact police at 419-586-2345.
Slusser said regardless of the suspect's intent in this case, residents should remain vigilant by locking their homes at night and when they are away.
