Security cameras capture bizarre break-in after men 'called police on themselves'
Bizarre garage break-in caught on camera
A man in Puyallup says his home was targeted by potential thieves who called police on themselves before breaking into his garage late at night.
PUYALLUP, Wash. - A man in Puyallup says his home was targeted by potential thieves who, according to the victim, called police on themselves before breaking into his garage at around 10:15 p.m. Saturday night.
In a strange twist, he says the men asked Puyallup Police to come to his home while he was gone. The group of men then allegedly told responding officers that something that belonged to them was in his garage.
"I got a notification that one of my cameras went down," said Larrick Firkins of Puyallup.
The backstory:
Firkins said he was picking up a family member at the airport when his security cameras captured a strange series of events unfolding outside his home.
"He’s the one that did most of the talking," said Firkins, pointing at a man on his security footage.
As a 20-year security systems specialist, he says he had multiple security cameras rolling on his property with audio capabilities at the time the group tried to get into his garage.
"Fortunately, the way I have this set up, there is no way you can be on this property without me knowing about it in some form or another," he said.
Firkins could see a group of men calling and talking to the police during the initial call. He said officers later told him they had claimed that he had something that belonged to them.
"They maybe got a tip that they thought I had something of theirs, which I don’t. I work very hard for everything I have," he said.
He watched as police officers told the men to leave.
"They kicked them off the property. I have video of them driving away and the police leaving and, literally, 10 minutes after that, they are back in camera view," said Firkins.
He says, shockingly, they came back after the officers left, making a beeline for his garage.
"You can see all four of them walking through the yard and asking each other really stupid questions," said Firkins.
The questions, overheard on security cameras, included discussions about bolt cutters.
"Do you have any bolt cutters?," one of the men asks. "Let’s run to LA."
"They actually ended up coming back with a double sided axed … and then broke the lock," said Firkins.
"We need to run."
There was also a discussion about what to do with the garage camera.
"Should we move the camera up?", asked one of the men.
"Oh bro…"
"Yeah. If it hasn’t already saw us."
In the end, Firkins says the men took the camera.
"Obviously all the video is stored in the cloud," he said.
Firkins says he's since installed several new cameras, complete with a siren, and remains baffled by the break-in.
"Calling the police on yourselves for a crime you are about to commit," he said. "Regardless of why they were here or what they thought, you can’t go breaking into people’s stuff."
Firkins thinks the cameras may have scared off the intruders before they were able to take anything, but he's still taking inventory.
The Puyallup Police Department confirms that investigators are on the case. If you know who is responsible, contact Puyallup Police.
The Source: Information in this story is from security camera footage and original FOX 13 interviews with Larrick Firkins of Puyallup.
MORE HEADLINES FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Seattle woman arrested for pit bull attacks: ‘Let him do his thing’
FEMA denies $34M in funds for WA bomb cyclone relief, gives no explanation
WSDOT shuts down 103-year-old bridge in Pierce County, WA
Man accused in Seattle hate crime flips off cameras, storms out of courtroom
Elephants react to San Diego earthquake, swarm around young
Red Robin launching Bottomless Burger Pass for National Burger Month
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.