Homeowner catches suspect digging through his vehicles
Published 7:00 am Tuesday, May 21, 2019
- King
A suspect was allegedly caught in the act of taking things from vehicles parked in front of a home on North Fork Drive.
Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said deputies were called to the victim’s home Sunday night just before 11 p.m. after the homeowner noticed something peculiar about his vehicles.
When deputies arrived, the victim told them that as he walked out onto his porch that night, he noticed the doors to both of his Toyota Camry vehicles were open and inside one of them was a man rooting through his belongings while holding a container of starter fluid.
The homeowner wrestled the man, later identified as 35-year-old Matthew J. King of 25 North Fork Drive, while he called for a family member to dial 911.
At some point while he waited for deputies to arrive, King convinced the man to let him sit in a chair.
Shortly thereafter King jumped up and ran on foot to his home down the street, Tucker said.
The homeowner gave chase, but King shut himself in the mobile home. When deputies arrived, the homeowner pointed them to the mobile home where King was taken into custody for two counts of commercial burglary, Tucker said.
The only belonging taken from the vehicles was the starter fluid.
Tucker said both vehicles were unlocked at the time.