Paint-spattered burglars caught

The suspects are brothers

Updated: Monday, 10 May 2010, 12:23 PM CDT
Published : Monday, 10 May 2010, 12:23 PM CDT

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) - Two brothers are behind bars after their alleged break-in scheme backfired.

The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety received a call around 3 a.m. Sunday about a burglary occurring in the 800 block of W. Walnut Street. The caller saw two people use a can of paint to break a window of a residence and go inside the home. The can broke on impact and sprayed the suspects. 

A police sergeant arrived and noticed the spattered paint and computer equipment on the ground outside the window. He also saw two people walking away from the building. He yelled for them to stop but they ran away.

Other officers and a K-9 unit responded to the scene and locked down the area. 

A female resident was in the home at the time. She did not know about the incident until the officers were searching the residence for other suspects. She was not injured.

One of the suspects who fled tried to walk by the officers' perimeter, according to a news release, but was immediately detained. Officers easily spotted him due to the paint from the crime scene on his clothes. 

The other suspect left the area in a taxi, police said. He was arrested after a search warrant was executed at a house in the 400 block of Clinton Avenue. He was also identified with the help of that spattered paint on his clothes.

The suspects are brothers -- 17 and 19 -- and from Kalamazoo. They now face felony home invasion charges.

Authorities said the person who called 911 and "a rapid response by the officers and poor planning on the part of the suspects" wrapped up the case.

Authorities said in the news release, "a successful conclusion to this incident can be attributed to an alert citizen, a rapid response by the officers and poor planning on the part of the suspects."