Hunter’s Trail Cam Fingers House Burglar

[Len Backus]

March 22, 2008

Johnny Sandlin was sick and tired of people breaking into his South Lebanon, Ohio home. In the past two years, Sandlin has been the victim of at least six burglaries in which he lost guns, cameras, a computer, a weed eater and even food from his refrigerator to thieving scumbags.

After a break-in occurring in early December, the homeowner decided enough was enough. Sandlin placed the trail camera he normally uses for deer scouting in a tree so it would record any activity on his driveway.

Bingo! His trusty trail cam recorded the image of a lone burglar, his car and its license plate on two subsequent days.

For Sandlin, the pictures meant as much as if they’d been of a 10-point buck. He turned the photos over to Warren County sheriff’s officials who in turn arrested and charged the culprit—thanks to the expert evidence provided by the camera.

“This is a perfect example of a homeowner thinking outside the box,” said Chief Deputy Larry Sims. “Mr. Sandlin did his part and our detectives were able to make a case out of the evidence he gathered.”