Surveillance video captured the moments a Cape Coral couple confronted a woman who broke into their truck Tuesday morning.
They noticed she was breaking into their truck while watching their home surveillance system and decided to take matters into their own hands.
It happened around 8:30 Tuesday morning in the driveway of a home on Southeast 8th Avenue.
The video shows a woman walking toward the truck, opening the door, and getting in. Moments later, the owner of the truck is seen walking up to her and confronting her. The woman then gets out of the truck as the owner's wife comes out of the house. The wife is seen pushing the intruder against the car and the two exchange some words before the wife pushes her again, pointing a finger in her face. The wife then hands the husband her purse and goes inside the house to call 911. Seconds later, the intruder is seen running away.
"It's always a poor decision, but they made the decision to try this in the daylight," Cpl. Phil Mullen of the Cape Coral Police Department said.
Police were able to catch the woman, Amanda Elam, 28, and charged her with burglary. Police said she jumped a fence and was spotted behind another home. When confronted by the officers, she told them she was lost and couldn't find her friend's house. At first she claimed she couldn't remember her friend's name. Police found a handful of change, lighters, a watch, and jewelry on her.
Cpl. Mullen said to remember, if you're in a situation like this, you never know what an intruder is capable of.
"As far as confronting the person yourself? They're on your property. That's a decision of every homeowner has to make. You just have to be aware there are dangers. These people might be armed, they might not be mentally stable," Cpl. Mullen said.
He said it's safer to call police since they handle these types of crimes and people every day.
He also said 90 percent of car break-ins happen at night, and residential burglaries are more common during the day.
