Deputies interrupt Fresno burglary when neighbor reports suspicious activity

A 26-year-old Fresno man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property after he was caught walking out of the southeast Fresno home he was burglarizing, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.

A neighbor, who was washing dishes around 11:45 a.m., looked out her window and saw two men knock on the door of a house in the 700 block of North Villa Avenue, just south of Highway 180. When no one answered, the suspects walked to the back of the home, the sheriff’s office said. The neighbor then reported the suspicious activity.

The first deputy on scene encountered the suspects walking out of the house and detained Armando Fimbres, who was released from prison two months ago and is under post-release community supervision. The other man ran and hopped a fence that led to the highway. A search by deputies and EAGLE One helicopter was unsuccessful.

The deputy stopped the suspects before they could load their van with televisions and wrapped Christmas gifts that were stacked in the garage, the sheriff’s office said. The homeowner, who left the house 20 minutes before the break-in, does not believe anything is missing.

The case is under investigation. Anyone with information should call the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center at 559-600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7687.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Deputies interrupt Fresno burglary when neighbor reports suspicious activity."