This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two people hid inside a closet in their Cottonwood Heights home early Tuesday morning as a burglar rattled their bedroom door, trying to force his way inside.
Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Mark Askerlund said the couple was asleep about 4:30 a.m. inside their condo near 7170 South when they were awakened by someone kicking open their locked front door. The two locked their bedroom door and hid inside their closet as they called 911 for help.
As they spoke with dispatchers, they said they could hear the man rattling the bedroom door, trying to get to them, Askerlund said.
"Why they chose their condominium to break into, we don't know," he said.
City police arrived soon after and captured the 38-year-old before he could reach the pair or steal any property and arrested the man on suspicion of burglary and public intoxication, Askerlund said.
Askerlund said the man lived in the complex, but there is no way he could have gotten the condos confused. He said officers believe the man, who has a pretty extensive criminal history including robbery, broke in intending to steal from the home.
Twitter @sltribjanelle