Police arrested a criminal with a lengthy record after he broke into a home Tuesday morning near 79th and Monrovia.
In light of recent crimes, Coy Kissee does what it’s recommended to protect himself.
“Always lock the doors, always bring the car into the garage, there's been a lot of car break-ins in this neighborhood recently in the area so I'm very vigilant about that,” Kissee said.
But this Tuesday morning, his home became the target of a career criminal.
At 7:30 a.m. the 40-year-old crook made his move.
When going through the window didn’t work, he went for the door—busting out part of the frame.
Kissee heard the commotion from his bathroom.
“I was looking around for something to use,” Kissee said. “There’s not a whole lot of choices so the only thing that I could think of—I grabbed my deodorant spray to use as a possible mace.”
When Lenexa police showed up the thief was gone, only taking Kissee’s digital camera. By then, people a block over had spotted the wanted man.
“I don't know if he got scared off or what, he then came over and got behind our bushes and then went around to my backyard and was hiding under my deck,” John R. Smith, a homeowner said.
Smith told 41 Action News the thief left behind a mess.
“The little Tonka trucks that I have for my grandkids were tipped over and I usually have them straight up,” Smith said.
He wants this to serve as a warning to potential criminals to stay away.
“Everybody knows each other very well and they know their tendencies and who's gone and who's home during the day and so everybody keeps an eye out for everybody,” Smith said.
The man police arrested Tuesday has a criminal career in Missouri that began in 1999. He was booked Tuesday afternoon into the Johnson County jail. Charges are expected to be filed Wednesday.
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
