Elyria police: Burglar arrested after being caught on home security video

ELYRIA — Police arrested an Elyria man on a burglary charge after they said he was caught on home security video breaking into a neighbor's house twice in one week to steal a video game, cash and other miscellaneous items. The burglar also admitted to police that he had stopped to smell the victim's girlfriend's underwear during one of the break-ins, according to a police report. Christian Perez, 24, of the 400 block of 11th Street, was arrested July 27 on a felony burglary charge and taken to the Lorain County Jail. He posted bond and was freed following his arraignment in Elyria Municipal Court on July 28, according to jail and court records. Elyria officers were called by a 26-year-old resident of the 400 block of 11th Street shortly before 4:30 p.m. July 27. Footage from the victim's security cameras showed a man in black pants, a black hoodie and a black face mask covering most of his face using a shovel and a framing square to pry open the man's rear sliding door shortly after 8:30 a.m. The burglar was inside for only 30 seconds, and stole $10 from the victim's kitchen table before leaving the way he entered, according to a police report. The victim reported that after a previous burglary at his home on July 22 during which someone stole $120 from his living room, he had installed security cameras. The victim said a second break-in then took place at 12:30 p.m. July 23, showing a man in a black hoodie and blue athletic shorts — this time not wearing a face mask and identifiable as his next-door neighbor, Perez. Officers went next door and spoke with Perez's 27-year-old brother, who said Perez lived there with him and his mother. "After some hesitation," the brother identified an image of the burglar as Perez. When Perez came upstairs from the basement, officers "immediately recognized Perez as the suspect from the security footage," according to a police report. Asked how many times he had broken into the neighbor's house, Perez said three. Perez denied taking any money, but admitted stealing a Nintendo Switch gaming system — worth $428 — from the neighbor during one of the burglaries. Perez told officers he hid the game behind a dog cage in the basement of his home, and officers found it there. The burglary victim identified the Switch as his property. Police said Perez also admitted taking loose change and cigarette lighters during the burglaries and said he had "walked through the entire house to make sure no one was home." Perez then "admitted to taking two pair of panties from a dresser which belonged to (the victim's) girlfriend," according to the police report. "Perez advised he had only smelled the panties and then left them under the (cushion) of the couch in the victim's residence." "Officers located the panties which (were) returned to the owner," according to the police report. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on Twitter.