Burglar arrested after home break-in
The victim was not injured.
Published Oct. 26, 2010
Police arrested a 24-year-old man early Thursday morning after he broke into an occupied home, a Columbia Police Department news release stated.
At about 12:10 a.m., CPD officers were dispatched to a burglary already in progress, the release said. The suspect, Anthony Webb, broke into the home of a 20-year-old female victim while she was home.
The victim said she received a knock on her front door, but when she got out of bed and checked, nobody was there. Shortly after returning to bed, she head noises on her back patio. As the victim was walking into the kitchen to check the disturbance, a brick shattered her back door.
She then quickly returned to her bedroom and shut herself inside, all while hearing the suspect in her house. While the victim leaned against the door to barricade it shut, Webb attempted to kick the door in. The victim, who had called 911, started screaming. All of this was heard over the telephone by the 911 operator.
CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said in an e-mail her department is unsure of Webb’s intentions while kicking in the door, nor the victim’s emotional condition following the break-in.
Haden said crimes such as this in Columbia are rare, though not unheard of. Still, she noted most burglaries occur in unoccupied buildings -- either closed businesses or homes where people are not present.
“Police officers would all like to ensure that people won't break into others' homes,” she said. “Unfortunately, unless a police officer is posted at each residence, we cannot ensure that.”
Haden said she encourages Columbia residents to call CPD for a security survey of their home to decrease their chances of becoming a victim of burglary.
Although Haden said nothing is for certain, she does not believe Webb had any weapons or stolen goods on him when officers found him walking south from the burglary. An officer stopped, questioned and detained Webb. Evidence found by officers at the scene linked Webb to the crime, and he was taken into custody without incident.
Webb’s bond was set at $100,000. He was arrested for first-degree burglary.
Prior to the burglary, someone had been knocking on doors around the area, the release stated. Residents are seeking anyone who had contact with anyone doing such, as Webb is a suspect in several other recent burglaries in the area. The CPD strongly urges anyone who has come into contact with anyone suspicious and knocking on doors to contact detective Chris Boyle at (573) 874-7658.