Burglar locks himself inside Kansas house after homeowner finds garage door open

When a homeowner returned to their house in Harvey County on Wednesday afternoon, the garage door was already open, officials said.

The homeowner then entered the house in the 8600 block of North Mission Road, west of Hesston, where they were confronted by a burglary suspect, a Harvey County spokesman said in a news release. Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a burglary call at the home at around 12:15 p.m.

“The suspect instructed the homeowner to leave the residence, and the homeowner did so safely,” the release said. “The suspect then locked himself inside the home. The suspect did not respond to several verbal requests from law enforcement to exit the home. Law enforcement proceeded to initiate tactics to protect themselves.”

Law enforcement forced open a door of the home at around 3:30 p.m. to provide the burglar with a phone in an attempt to communicate with him, the release said. A suspect was arrested shortly after.

The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that the suspect barricaded inside the home received minor injuries while being taken into custody. No one else was injured.

“Considering the circumstances, we are thankful for the relatively peaceful and safe response,” the post said.