Burglar Goes On 3-Hour Rampage Of Destruction During Home Invasion — On Video

Police hunt for suspect caught on camera hammering walls, smashing items, ripping pool cover with rake, all while stealing guns and tools.

February 13, 2019
Burglary Suspect trashing home [Madison County Sheriff’s Department]

Burglary Suspect trashing home [Madison County Sheriff’s Department]

Burglary Suspect trashing home [Madison County Sheriff’s Department]

By: Mike McPadden

MADISON COUNTY, IN — Police are looking for a man they say broke into a home and spent three hours destroying it before leaving with stolen tools and firearms. The Madison County Sheriff’s Department has released surveillance video depicting what they believe is the suspect rampantly trashing the premises.

The homeowner, who has asked not to be identified, said the incident occurred over the weekend while she was away. She told police that she returned to the house on Sunday and found it laid to waste. The homeowner then turned over security-camera footage that allegedly depicts a man she says she does not know ravaging the property.

The video has been shared with the public in hope that someone can help identify the suspect. The tape depicts a man battering the kitchen with a hammer, smashing numerous objects, breaking every fixture, and using a rake to rip holes in a backyard pool cover — through which he then tries to shove a concrete statue. In the end, he takes off with two shotguns, tools, and a toolbox.

Madison County Sheriff's Lieutenant Darwin Dwiggins said, “In over 20 years of police work, and specifically working burglaries as an investigator, I have yet to see anything like this."

The homeowner told the press that her family was in the process of making the home handicap accessible for her mother, but those plans will have to wait until after a massive repair project.

Still, the homeowner said she’s grateful that no one was home at home when the intruder arrived, gesturing toward her family and stating: "You can destroy material things but the most important thing is right here in front of us.”

If you have any information about the case or know who the man in the video is you're asked to call the Madison County Sheriff's Department investigators at (765) 646-9281 or Crime Stoppers, where you can remain anonymous, at (765) 649-8310.

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