Backyard prowler caught on camera watching Spring Valley family through window
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Spring Valley family is recovering from a shocking attempted burglary caught on their backyard camera Monday night.
Shrouded in shadows, a masked and gloved figure stared at the family for more than 10 minutes at their house near Tropicana Avenue and Durango Drive.
“The fact that my family was home, and he didn’t care really strikes me to the bone,” Adrian said. He didn’t want to show his face or share his full name out of concern.
Monday around 8:30 p.m., Adrian’s backyard camera picked up a figure. He told 8 News Now that he thinks the attempted burglar came into his pool area by jumping over a fence.
The suspect approached a childproof gate however, he was not able to open it. Instead, the prowler jumped from a daybed over the gate to approach the backdoor. An imprint of his shoe and glove was still visible.
Adrian said at the time, the backyard lights were off however, the window blinds were up, and the lights inside the home put the father, wife, and three young kids all in plain view.
To make matters worse, the door was locked but the deadbolt wasn’t engaged. Even though the man was wearing gloves, the surveillance video shows him applying another layer and holding a tool Adrian suspects is used to pick a lock. Adrian said the man also tried to slide the window open.
“Those are the two attempts of entry that I know of, and this is when I was home,” Adrian explained.
Adrian said the man stayed for a total of 12 minutes, staring and dodging out of view in what Adrian described as a sinister nature.
“It felt like he was ready to take his crimes to the next level and like he was debating with himself whether he should enter and do whatever he thought he was going to do. Whether that’s holding us hostage or some kind of sex crime.”
After he left, Adrian received an alert from the camera roughly 10 minutes later and called 9-1-1.
About an hour later, he returned. Adrian said a neighbor called and notified him the man was back. From inside, Adrian shined a light that spooked the figure and he left. Adrian unfortunately has a vague description of the person.
He said the man appeared to be Black, 5″11, and in his mid or late 20s. Adrian did file a report with Metro police.
Adrian said the experience taught him how to make his home safer, and what made his family an easier target. He plans to landscape, eliminating hiding spots, and add more lighting and louder phone alerts of activity outside. He recommends other people get cameras installed.
“At sundown, the window blinds go down, the lights go on and deadbolts engaged,” Adrian said. They’ve also brought reinforcements. The family adopted a dog the next day.
Adrian posted signs with screenshots of the burglar throughout his neighborhood with the Metro case number and talked with neighbors. He is making an effort to spread his message through the community and online.
“I feel I need to do as much on my own as possible to protect my family and to let people know how they can protect their family,” he said.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reported a rise in property crimes, including burglaries this year.
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