An embarrassed burglar left a couple $200 and apologized after he was caught inside their home in Sante Fe, New Mexico.
After breaking in through a window on Sunday afternoon, Teral Christesson, 32, ate shrimp, drank beer, and bathed before the couple found him standing in the home with an AR-15 scoped rifle, according to police.
While it is not completely unheard of for a homeowner to come home in the middle of a burglary, it is quite uncommon for the suspect to be non-confrontational about the crime.
In Washington, a family was shocked to find a stranger doing laundry and making food inside their home. The couple was successful in chasing the burglar out of the house.
In Georgia, a man came home to find a burglar walking around his home wearing his ex-wife’s bra and dress. But this homeowner wasn’t faced with an apologetic and embarrassed suspect. Instead, this homeowner was held at gunpoint while the suspect fled.
As the owner of the house escorted Christesson outside, he dropped $200 in the living room and said it was “reimbursement for the window he broke,” according to a police report from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Police advise against attempting to confront a home intruder in case they are carrying a weapon. Rather, it is recommended to immediately call 911 and attempt to exit the residence.
After police arrived at the scene, they were unable to locate Christesson in the area. According to a report, the homeowner told police that he and his wife smelled rotting food when they entered the house and found dirty dishes and empty beer bottles in the kitchen.
Inside, the couple allegedly found Christesson standing in the back guest room with a rifle. When asked why he was in the house, Christesson reportedly replied that “his family was killed in east Texas and he was running from somebody,” police said.
Christesson also reportedly told the homeowner that his car broke down 100 miles outside of town.
When the homeowner asked if anything was stolen, Christesson reportedly said he didn’t take anything but that he did cook food, sleep in a bedroom, and bathe. The homeowner told police the burglar was “extremely embarrassed and apologetic.”
Police said although the wife left jewelry sitting around the home, none of it was touched.
Officers were able to locate Christesson on Monday after driving by a man who fit the description of the suspect. He later confessed to the burglary.
Christesson was arrested and brought to the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility where he faces charges for Aggravated Burglary, Criminal Damage to Property and Larceny totaling $15.
iggy1965/iStock