CAPE CORAL, Fla -- The extreme measures two cape coral men took to catch a man breaking into cars. The men, followed by K-9 units and a Lee County Sheriff’s Office chopper chased an alleged burglar down early Saturday morning.
Police say it started at 4:45 AM on Saturday, on SW 35th Street in Cape Coral. One homeowner, who didn't want to be identified says he received a phone call from his neighbor saying she saw a man attempting to break into cars through her Ring app.
"When I picked up, she’s in a panic, and said there is somebody in the driveway currently breaking into the vehicles that are in her driveway," the homeowner said.
Cape Coral Police tell Fox 4 that man was 20-year-old Xzavier Phillips. The homeowner says he went outside right away and saw Phillips digging in the glove compartment of his car. He says he and Phillips locked eyes, and he noticed Phillips jumps out of his car, and they fight, both throwing punches for a few minutes.
The homeowners he says Phillips eventually got away and ran, but the homeowner and his neighbor ran after him, for nearly two miles all the way down to the Bobbie Noonan daycare. The homeowner says they eventually stopped chasing him and ran back to SW 35th Street where police were on scene.
Officers sent out a chopper and a K-9 unit in search of Phillips. Several minutes later police say they found him nearby in a lanai at a Cape Coral home and officers took him into custody.
The homeowner told Fox 4 it’s a relief Phillips was taken into custody, but he says this could have been prevented. Looking into Phillips' past, he had a good reason for saying so. Fox 4 discovered Phillips has been arrested seven times for similar crimes dating back to 2017.
"It just seems like a lot of times once these cases get to court and once the judge hears it’s just a slap on the wrist and they don’t do anything that deters these people from committing these crimes in the future," the homeowner said.
Now he along with Cape Coral Police urges everyone to keep their car doors lock at all times.
"I didn’t really expect it to happen to ever happen in my driveway. It hits kind of close to home," he said.
Phillips has eight separate charges on this incident, including resisting an officer, violation of his parole and battery.
