MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police are closer to catching an East Memphis burglar thanks to some pictures taken by an alert neighbor.
Police said the crook pulled up to a house on Wellsville moments after the homeowner left for work.
Melinda Harris’ husband noticed something suspicious.
“He saw the man walking up the driveway. He called Sam, and asked if there was supposed to be anyone at his house,” she said. “He went back next door and confronted the man. Told him he needed to leave.”
The suspicious man said he was there to do yard work.
“[My husband] knows Sam does his own yard work,” she said.
Harris called police while her husband used his phone to snap pictures of the elderly suspect’s car.
He even got a close up of the license plate with a handicap tag.
“The man very slowly walked back to his car and left,” said Harris.
Police pulled up moments after the crook got away, but were happy to see the pictures.
“It helped them a lot. Within an hour they knew who it was and where to find him,” said Harris.
As for the homeowner, Sam Bryson, he’s just thankful his neighbors scared the thief away before he swiped more than his backpack blower.
“I got great neighbors,” said Bryson. “We got a little village in between corner to corner here.”
He hopes others learn from this and watch out for their neighbors too.
“I hope everybody has a mayor of their own as well,” said Bryson. “Somebody who watches the streets while people are at work or doing their own thing.”