ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – A Volusia County deputy's instincts turned out to be right when he stopped a driver who had an interesting story about why he climbed into a home through the bathroom window, according to body camera video release by the Sheriff's Office.
Justin Aldrich, 41, was spotted leaving Kilgallen Court in his red Dodge Nitro while a deputy was responding to a burglary alarm and 911 call in the area, according to Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
The deputy stopped Aldrich who said he was at the home to pressure-wash the house and had to enter through the bathroom window, according to the arrest report.
The Sheriff's Office released Tuesday the body camera video from the deputy who arrested Aldrich. In the video, Aldrich is seen having trouble naming the person for whom he was pressure washing the house.
In a Facebook post, the Sheriff's Office wrote the deputy "was not convinced of Aldrich's truthfulness of this account."
Deputies said Aldrich entered the residence by standing on an outside air-conditioning unit and using a pry tool to open the bathroom window.
"Normally, I go through the window," Aldrich told the deputy. "That's what we do."
"That's not normal," the deputy responded.
Once inside the home, Aldrich ransacked and rummaged through several rooms, removing property, according to the report.
Deputies said they found those missing items -- including jewelry, paper foreign currency, coins, a check book, cuff links with initials engraved on them and several other items-- in a pillowcase in the backseat of Aldrich's vehicle. Deputies estimated the total value of the stolen property to be $1,500, according to the report.
Aldrich was charged with burglary and grand theft and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail. He was later released after posting $5,000 bond, according to jail records.
Burglary suspect caught leaving the scene"That's not normal" Yesterday afternoon, Deputy Greene was responding to a residential burglary alarm and 911 call on Kilgallen Court, Ormond Beach, when he spotted a suspicious vehicle leaving the area. The driver explained that he was at the house to pressure wash it, and in doing so, he had to enter the house through a bathroom window. Deputy Greene was not convinced of the truthfulness of this account. Inside, deputies found several rooms ransacked and rummaged through. In the back seat of the suspect vehicle, Deputy Greene found a pillowcase full of property belonging to the victims, ages 81 and 72. The stolen property included jewelry, antique items, paper foreign currency, a checkbook, cuff links engraved with the victim's initials, and several other items. Justin Aldrich, 41 (DOB 1/17/1978) was charged with burglary and grand theft and taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he was later released after posting $5,000 bond.
Posted by Volusia Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, July 23, 2019