SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A homeowner found images of a suspected burglar that were captured by a baby monitor.
The mother watched the crime live from her cell phone, and she wasted no time in calling the cops. "We caught someone in our apartment while we were at work, breaking into our home on our baby monitor."
The baby monitor cracked the case, catching the burglar on camera. "It sent me an alert, and I looked at it, and I saw a person putting on gloves in the house, getting ready to go in my baby’s room," the victim said, "so I called 911."
She told 7News that the baby was not home at the time of the burglary.
The victim didn’t want to show her face, but she wanted to share her story of the creative capture.
The homeowner lives in a gated condominium community in Sunny Isles, off 170th Street and North Bay Road.
According to the mother, she was also ripped off in January. "They took a lot of expensive bags, Chanel bags, Louis Vuitton luggage. They took my laptops I use to do my work," she said.
She then decided to take action with a baby monitor. When she leaves the home, she turns the monitor on to detect who enters her home. The monitor has an app that alerts the user when motion is detected and shows the user a live video and allows them to save the images. "I called my husband. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, someone’s in the house,’" she said.
Thankfully, her baby was at work with her that day. Sunny Isles Police responded to her home immediately. "She took it upon herself to create her own security system, basically," said Sunny Isles Beach Police Sgt. Brian Schnell.
The suspects were so surprised that they ditched the jewelry they took at the side of the building. "The quick response of the department, to get to the call, a suspect saw a police car pulling up, and they dumped the jewelry, where you see in the photos," Schnell said.
Police arrested 62-year-old Mark Lodigensky and Mike Mendoza. Lodigensky was charged with numerous burglaries throughout South Florida.
He pleaded with a judge about bond. "Your honor, I can make $40,000," he said.
Judge Mindy Glazer was not having it. "Sir, I’m setting a bond, I’m not lowering it any further," she said. "If anything, I should raise it. You broke into different people’s homes. You’re terrorizing people in their own homes, allegedly."
The homeowner told 7News she was surprised how the monitor created a better sense of security. "I never thought it would work out this way, but I’m glad that it did," she said.
This is an ongoing investigation. If you have any information on this duo, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.