A 20-year-old man has been arrested by Lethbridge police in connection with a reported armed break-in on Saturday morning.
Police said the break and enter with a butcher knife took place in the 100 block of Fairmont Road S.
When officers arrived on scene, the man ran away but was soon found by a police service dog, hiding behind a vehicle, according to police.
Mitchell Shot Both Sides has been charged with breaking and entering, possession of a dangerous weapon and resisting arrest. Shot Both Sides is also facing three counts of attempted breaking and entering.
Global News spoke with the homeowner who came face-to-face with the suspect and agreed not to name the individual due to privacy concerns. He said the suspect entered his home through sliding back doors that were locked at the time. When confronted by the homeowner, the suspect sidestepped him and left through the front door.
Security camera footage surfaced of a man trying to access several other homes in the area on Saturday.
Brianna Lamane, who lives in the neighbourhood, said she had security cameras installed two days ago.
When Lamane woke to the sound of sirens Saturday morning, she said she checked the footage from her front door camera to see the same man attempting to enter her home around 5:15 a.m.
“I pull up footage of a tall, big guy with a huge knife in his hand,” she said.
“It wasn’t concealed… He had it, just holding it in his hand and trying to get through our front door.”
Lamane said the video was frightening to watch.
“I had five kids here last night. One of them was sleeping on the couch closest to the front door,” she said. “It was traumatizing to see the video.”
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Footage was also captured of the man attempting to open the front door of Lamane’s next-door neighbour’s house.
Police are asking others in the area for help in the investigation.
Lamane said the incident has put her on edge and left her feeling uncertain about the area.
“We thought we were safe in here in Fairmont because there’s been low to next to no crime,” she said.
“I’m just nervous about the future. I’m thinking about getting more security and more locks on my house.”
Other residents in the area are also contemplating taking more security precautions for the homes following Saturday’s arrest.
“We had a couple break-ins, like months ago,” said Ryan Stanyer. “Just guys going around breaking into trucks and stuff.”
“I wanted to get a camera and the wife thought it was a waste of money but now she’s kind of changed her mind about it, so we’re going to be getting one.”
Shot Both Sides remains in custody and is awaiting a bail hearing.
– With files from Global News’ Jasmine Bala
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