A homeowner in the Pine Tree State aka Maine, got a surprise visitor in his home just before Christmas – but it was not Santa. York County cops reported that a homeowner opened the door of his residence and was shocked to see a stranger wearing his clothes and watching TV, looking relaxed and at-home in his living room. According to the police, the man broke into a home in Waterboro, Maine, took a shower, wore the homeowner’s clothes, and ate his food as well. The funniest part is that the alleged burglar managed to convince the homeowner to give him a ride!
The Man Claimed That He Made A Mistake
Derek Tarbox, the alleged burglar of 35 years of age, also managed to convince the homeowner that he had mistaken his house for a friend’s place. The alleged burglar then requested the homeowner to give him a ride to a house in Hollis. The homeowner, on the other hand, thought that the situation was bizarre, but he agreed to drive Tarbox to another house in Hollis just to get rid of him. According to Bill King, the York County Sheriff, he wanted to get the stranger out of his home, so he decided to give him a ride.
The Homeowner Was Shocked After Getting Back Home
After giving Tarbox a ride, the homeowner immediately went home and was blown out of the water to notice that the back door of his house was forced open and various things were missing, according to several news reports. The York County sheriff later told the press that the homeowner got back home after dropping Derek Tarbox at a place in Hollis and driving all the back, only to find that his house’s back door had been broken, food was missing from his kitchen, and there were clear signs that the house had been ransacked. The homeowner then called the police who arrived at his residence in no time.
Tarbox Was No Accidental Offender
The sheriff’s deputies, who worked closely with the Maine State Police to find out who the stranger was, later discovered that Tarbox had actually run off with a vehicle in Portland before breaking into the caller’s home. He had run out of gas while driving through Hollis, and he had stolen another vehicle. He then drove the stolen car to Bennet Hill road where he crashed the car into the woods. Tarbox then simply broke the back door of the caller’s house and trespassed into the property. The police wanted to check with the residents of the Hollis home where the caller dropped Tarbox, who informed police that a relative named Derek Tarbox asked them to drive him to a house in Limerick the same night.
Tarbox Fled From The Limerick House But Was Arrested Later
When cops arrived at the Limerick house, Tarbox had already left the location but was arrested soon enough. At the time of his arrest, Tarbox was still wearing the clothes of the Maine homeowner. Tarbox was arrested on a number of charges and without any incident. The charges against him are Class B Burglary (to be released on bail; he has to pay $5,000), two charges of Unauthorized Use of Property (bail for each is $500), Failure to report an Accident by Quickest Means (bail is $500), Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident (bail is $500), and Theft (bail is $1000). The perpetrator was scheduled to be produced before the court on multiple charges, but he didn’t have a criminal defense attorney on his side at that time.
Later, an attorney was appointed for Tarbox who then claimed that Tarbox was released from the Spring Harbor Hospital just before the incident while also indicating that his client was suffering from some sort of mental health disorder and added that he needs professional assistance with regards to his mental illness. As of now, Tarbox is to be reproduced in court in March 2019.
What should you do if you find a stranger relaxing in your home, watching TV and wearing your clothes? Even if the stranger asks for a favor, you shouldn’t just pay heed to his words. Instead, you should call the police at the earliest, call a neighbor if possible, and inform someone you trust over the over the phone or send an SOS. Act sensibly and do not do anything which may land you in further trouble.