MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Midland Police Department is investigating a break-in at the Spectrum Apartments.
The August 3rd break-in was caught on a family’s Ring doorbell security footage. The family, who asked to remain anonymous because of safety concerns, shared the video with Yourbasin.com.
The doorbell camera shows a man in a bright orange, Nike short-sleeved shirt. The man knocks on the family’s front door three times. After receiving no response, he uses a key to open the family’s front door. The incident happened during the daytime.
The man was a complete stranger, one tenant said on the phone with reporter Rob Tooke.
After the man opens the door, he shouts “Maintenance” twice as he enters. Moments later, he is seen closing and locking the door, then quickly rushing away. The tenant said her teenage son was home during the break-in, scaring off the intruder.
“We were at work, my husband and I. We got an alert that there was a person at the door. He knocked on the door, opened the door, yelled ‘Maintenance,’ and was spooked by my son who was home alone. And then he locked the door and took off. It was a red flag. A definite red flag, so me and my husband rushed home,” the tenant said.
The tenant said she believes the intruder did not expect anyone to be home. The likely reason is because the family’s vehicles were not parked out front. Both parents were at work. The family’s son, who was home during the break-in, is still shaken up.
“It’s an uneasy experience for the teenager to go through,” the tenant said. “Of course, it makes us angry. It makes us feel unsafe in our home, where we are supposed to feel safe.”
The tenant said maintenance workers at the Spectrum Apartments typically wear uniforms.
“The fact he was wearing a bright Nike shirt just didn’t make sense,” she said.
The man also announced that he was a maintenance worker after opening the door. Normally, maintenance workers would remain outside unless given consent by the tenant to enter. The tenant said she did not give consent nor did she schedule a maintenance appointment.
The family recently installed the doorbell camera. They encourage others to consider a doorbell camera for security purposes.
The tenant added: “I am a strong believer of the Second Amendment. Get a gun, protect yourself. Protect your family.”
Spectrum management said it is cooperating with the Midland Police Department in its investigation. The management team said it recognizes the suspect as a former tenant at the complex. When asked if the suspect had previously lived in the victims’ unit, the management team said the man was not a tenant to that specific unit. The suspect’s information has been shared with MPD, management said. It is unclear how the suspect obtained a key to the family’s unit.
A City of Midland spokesperson said the investigation remains ongoing. No arrests have been announced.