Leesburg Man Arrested After Breaking Into House To Steal Food
LEESBURG — A Leesburg man was arrested after breaking into a house to steal food and escape from the cold.
Carmen Melillo Jr., 29, 322 E. CR 575N, Leesburg, is being charged with burglary, a level 4 felony, and attempted theft, a class A misdemeanor.
An officer with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department responded to a burglary in process. Upon arrival, the officer discovered the door leading into the attached garage was shattered and open. The neighbor who reported the burglary advised he noticed the broken door and saw an unknown male subject inside the garage. A description of the unknown male was given to the officer.
Officers were able to locate a subject matching the description nearby. The unknown subject was identified as Melillo, and the neighbor confirmed that he was the suspect.
Inside the residence, a letter was found with the last name of Melillo listed as the sender. Inside the letter was Melillo’s social security card and birth certificate.
The owner of the residence advised he did not know Melillo and never gave him permission to be inside the residence. The owner advised that tools and other items on the workbench had been moved and his grill had been “messed with.” The owner further advised that his ice cream sandwiches had been spread out across the freezer.
Melillo admitted that he entered the residence because he was cold and hungry. He told the officers that he was planning on eating the food inside the residence but dropped the food when he was startled by the neighbor. Melillo fled from the residence after being seen by the neighbor.
Melillo was previously convicted of theft in Kosciusko County in January 2017.