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SOUTH JORDAN — Police arrested three people in connection with a home burglary.
South Jordan police say the home's residents, a 63-year-old man and his wife, awoke to a crashing noise and thought something hit the house. By the time they got to the front door, someone had already taken a cellphone, wallet and vehicle keys.
They called police around 4:05 a.m. to report a burglary in progress.
When officers arrived in the neighborhood near 5000 West and 10400 South, they spotted a woman sitting in a car nearby, questioned her and determined she was involved in the crime, according to police.
Officers found a second woman hiding behind a nearby house, police said. A man was later found hiding in a window well several houses east of the victims' residence.
The homeowner was able to lead the police to at least one of the burglars using the "Find my iPhone" app on his wife's phone.
Officers arrested Ruby Jo Hernandez, 23, of West Valley City; Catarino Gambino, 26, of West Jordan; Brency Brigetee Salazar, 19, of Taylorsville.
Stolen items from the house were recovered from the suspects, police said. Police are investigating whether the three may be involved in other, unsolved burglaries, including a similar crime in the Daybreak development a few days earlier.
The trio were booked into the Salt Lake County Adult Detention Center for investigation of residential burglary, burglary tools, possession of stolen property, possession of marijuana and possession of methamphetamine, police said.
"We would like to remind all residents to ensure your front doors are locked and to leave your lights on at night — light is the enemy of a burglar," said Master Officer Samuel Winkler of the South Jordan Police Department, in a news release.
"We also encourage residents to call the police anytime they hear or see anything or anyone out of the ordinary so we can come check it out," Winkler wrote.
"I have no doubt I'm still processing the vulnerability, the feeling of a victim," said the homeowner, who wanted to be identified only as Darrel.
Darrel said he might not have immediately noticed items were missing if his door not been opened.
"That made me realize someone had been in the house recently, because then I associated the noise I heard just a few minutes earlier with somebody kicking in my front door," Darrel said.
His property was recovered, but that doesn't make up for the feeling that it could happen again.
"We'll pull together and we'll be fine, but it certainly leaves a person feeling vulnerable," Darrel said.
Contributing: Linda Williams
